Skip to main page content
U.S. flag
See More

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Oct 25.
doi: 10.1002/yea.70006. Online ahead of print.

Polyphosphate Accumulation Is Determined by Zinc and Inositol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Alexander Deitert  1 , Makarius Baier  1 , Roy Eerlings  1 , Jana Fees  1 , Ailín Österlein Kück  1 , Julia Repin  1 , Philipp Demling  1 , Lars M Blank  1
Affiliations

Polyphosphate Accumulation Is Determined by Zinc and Inositol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Alexander Deitert et al. Yeast. .

Abstract

Polyphosphate (polyP) is an intriguing polymer with diverse biological and industrial applications. Chemical polyP production is energy-intensive and limited in chain length at large-scale production. Alternatively, biological production offers a sustainable solution. Recent research endeavors highlighted Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a promising organism for polyP hyperaccumulation, achieving up to 28% (w/w) polyP (as KPO3). Pi starvation and Pi feeding are essential for this hyperaccumulation phenotype. Prior research demonstrated that trace elements and vitamins increase polyP production in S. cerevisiae when added to the cultivation medium during Pi starvation. However, the role of trace elements and vitamins in enhancing polyP accumulation remained unclear. This study identified inositol and zinc to drive polyP accumulation across various laboratory and industrial S. cerevisiae strains. Moreover, these components influence the energy metabolism of yeasts. Our findings suggest that zinc boosts the phosphate-responsive signal transduction (PHO) pathway during Pi starvation. The influence of inositol on polyP hyperaccumulation remains elusive, as it does not influence the PHO pathway directly. These findings add to the ever-growing understanding of polyP metabolism in S. cerevisiae and provide further targets for optimizing biological polyP production.

Keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; inositol; phosphate starvation; polyphosphate; yeast; zinc.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Anderlei, T., W. Zang, M. Papaspyrou, and J. Büchs. 2004. “Online Respiration Activity Measurement (OTR, CTR, RQ) in Shake Flasks.” Biochemical Engineering Journal 17: 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1369‐703X(03)00181‐5.
    1. Andreini, C., L. Banci, I. Bertini, and A. Rosato. 2006. “Zinc Through the Three Domains of Life.” Journal of Proteome Research 5, no. 11: 3173–3178. https://doi.org/10.1021/pr0603699.
    1. Austin, S., and A. Mayer. 2020. “Phosphate Homeostasis ‐ A Vital Metabolic Equilibrium Maintained Through the INPHORS Signaling Pathway.” Frontiers in Microbiology 11: 1367. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01367.
    1. Azevedo, C., and A. Saiardi. 2017. “Eukaryotic Phosphate Homeostasis: The Inositol Pyrophosphate Perspective.” Trends in Biochemical Sciences 42, no. 3: 219–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2016.10.008.
    1. Battling, S., K. Wohlers, C. Igwe, et al. 2020. “Novel Plasmid‐Free Gluconobacter oxydans Strains for Production of the Natural Sweetener 5‐Ketofructose.” Microbial Cell Factories 19, no. 1: 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934‐020‐01310‐7.

LinkOut - more resources