Conference - London, United Kingdom
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), the linear polymer of orthophosphates, contains “high-energy” phosphoanhydride bonds, which are thermodynamically equivalent to the energy rich bonds of ATP. Although polyP first captured the attention of scientists in the 1950s for its similarity with ATP, the fact that polyP can be synthesized in extreme conditions has led to the suggestion that it could have played fundamental biological roles during the prebiotic evolution. Perhaps for this reason, it was erroneously considered to be a “molecular fossil” with no obvious functions in cells. To the contrary, the ubiquitous presence of polyP in nature and the past ten years of research have contributed to increase the interest for this polymer, underscoring the fundamental importance of polyP in numerous biological processes. In bacteria, polyP has been implicated in many processes, representing both an energy source and a cation sequestration store. It is also involved in gene transcription control, regulation of enzyme activities, response to stress, structure of channels and pumps and quorum sensing and virulence. In eukaryotes, polyP is involved in many biological processes, including apoptosis, osmoregulation, bone mineralization, blood coagulation, inflammation and cancer development, just to cite a few. Since polyP is implicated in a number of essential cellular processes, its synthesis and metabolism must be tightly regulated. Scientists from very different background have studied polyP and this event will create a fertile ground to share our expertise, discuss recent developments, stimulate new collaborations and create the foundation for future years of innovative science. We wish to establish communication and cooperation between scientists interested in polyP in order to build a vibrant polyP community.
Organization: Biochemical Society
7 September 2015 (09:00 - 17:00)
Charles Darwin House
London WC1N 2JU, United Kingdom
Contact: Annette Ettarh (conference@biochemistry.org)
Phone: +44 (0)207 685 2450
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