Polyphosphate Kinase 2 (PPK2) Enzymes: Structure, Function, and Roles in Bacterial Physiology and Virulence

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) has been implicated in an astonishing array of biological functions, ranging from phosphorus storage to molecular chaperone activity to bacterial virulence. In bacteria, polyP is synthesized by polyphosphate kinase (PPK) enzymes, which are broadly subdivided into two families: PPK1 and PPK2. While both enzyme families are capable of catalyzing polyP synthesis, PPK1s preferentially synthesize polyP from nucleoside triphosphates, and PPK2s preferentially consume polyP to phosphorylate nucleoside mono- or diphosphates. Importantly, many pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii encode at least one of each PPK1 and PPK2, suggesting these enzymes may be attractive targets for antibacterial drugs. Although the majority of bacterial polyP studies to date have focused on PPK1s, PPK2 enzymes have also begun to emerge as important regulators of bacterial physiology and downstream virulence. In this review, we specifically examine the contributions of PPK2s to bacterial polyP homeostasis. Beginning with a survey of the structures and functions of biochemically characterized PPK2s, we summarize the roles of PPK2s in the bacterial cell, with a particular emphasis on virulence phenotypes. Furthermore, we outline recent progress on developing drugs that inhibit PPK2 enzymes and discuss this strategy as a novel means of combatting bacterial infections.

Seal Tightly and Store in a Cool Dry Place: Exploring Soil Phosphorus Storage in a Subtropical Treatment Wetland.

Oligotrophic wetlands of the Everglades are often the final recipients of nutrients from adjacent ecosystems and tend to accumulate phosphorus (P) in their soils. Understanding P source and sink dynamics in wetlands are critical for managing wetland ecosystems and protecting downstream resources. In this study, soil P storage capacity (SPSC) was evaluated within two treatment flow-ways of the Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs). This study hypothesized that SPSC will vary between flow-ways, soil depth, and spatially along the inflow-to-outflow gradient. The P storage capacity in the STAs depend on the proportion of iron, aluminum, calcium, and magnesium (Fe, Al, Ca, and Mg, respectively) to P with floc and recently accreted soils (RAS) being associated more with Ca and Mg and pre-STA soils being associated more with Fe and Al. Phosphorus loss, as indicated from SPSC values would vary between systems and soil depths suggesting a variable condition of P sink and source within and along flow-ways. This result, while limited, demonstrates the applicability of SPSC to wetlands systems and provides information that will aid operational or management decisions associated with improving P retention of the Everglades STAs.

Effect of organic loading on phosphorus forms transformation and microbial community in continuous-flow A2/O process

A continuous-flow Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic (A2/O) system was operated at different organic concentrations to systematically investigate the effect on the nutrient removal, secretion characteristics of extracellular polymer, phosphorus forms transformation and changes in functional flora in this system. The results showed that high organic loading was more conducive to promote the secretion of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), the increase of polysaccharide content was more obvious compared with protein, the impact of organic loading on the components of loosely-bound EPS (LB-EPS) was higher than that of tight-bound EPS (TB-EPS). Phosphorus in sludge floc mainly existed in the form of inorganic phosphorus (IP), and IP mainly existed in the form of apatite inorganic phosphorus (AP). High organic load showed higher phosphorus storage in EPS, and the phosphorus content in EPS was positively correlated with the content of EPS. Non-apatite phosphorus (NAIP) content played an important role in the extracellular dephosphorization. The abundance of Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira responsible for nitrification decreased with the increase of organic loading. The group of denitrifiers was large, and Azospira was the most abundant genus among them. Dechloromonas, Acinetobacter, Povalibacter, Chryseolinea and Pirellula were the functional genera closely associated with phosphorus removal.

PHOSPHORUS SORPTION ISOTHERMS IN SOILS OF THE SEMIARID REGION OF BRAZIL

ABSTRACT The soils of the Semiarid region of Brazil lack studies regarding sorption processes and availability of phosphorus (P). Therefore, the objective of this work was to quantify the sorption of P in ten soils representative of the Semiarid region of Brazil and correlate them with the soil phosphorus storage capacity. The P concentrations in the equilibrium solutions used to model the sorption isotherms were: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 55, 70, and 80 mg L-1 for the soils Typic Quartzipsamment (Neossolo Quartzarenico), Typic Hapludox (Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo), Typic Hapludult (Argissolo Vermelho Amarelo), Typic Quartzipsamment (Neossolo Flúvico), and Typic Dystrudept (Cambissolo Haplico); and 0, 10, 15, 25, 40, 55, 80, 100, 130, and 150 mg L-1 for the soils Typic Calciudolls (Chernossolo Rendzico), Typic Dystrudept (Cambissolo Haplico), Typic Dystrudept (Cambissolo Haplico), Typic Hapludult (Argissolo Vermelho Amarelo), and Typic Hapludert (Vertissolo Haplico). The Langmuir and Freundlich sorption isotherms were fitted to non-linear regression models and the values of the model parameters were estimated. The sorption isotherms were adequate to quantify the sorption of P in the soils of the Semiarid region of Brazil, with maximum P sorption capacity varying from 50.4 mg kg-1 to 883.5 mg kg-1. The sorption of P was higher in soils with more clayey textures, alkaline, and rich in iron and calcium, denoting the importance of evaluating the effect of these characteristics on the sorption of P in these soils.

Intra-population strain variation in phosphorus storage strategies of the freshwater cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii

ABSTRACT Several cyanobacteria, including diazotrophic Raphidiopsis raciborskii, can form harmful blooms when dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations are very low. We hypothesized that R. raciborskii strains would vary in phosphorus (P) allocations to cell growth and storage, providing resilience of populations to continuously low or variable P supplies. We tested this hypothesis using six toxic strains (producing cylindrospermopsins) isolated from a field population using batch monocultures with and without P and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Treatments replete with DIN, irrespective of P addition, had similar exponential growth rates for individual strains. P storage capacity varied 4-fold among strains and was significantly higher in DIN-free treatments than in replete treatments. P was stored by all R. raciborskii strains, in preference to allocation to increase growth rates. P stores decreased with increased growth rate across strains, but weeere not related to the time to P starvation in P-free treatments. The storage capacity of R. raciborskii, combined with strategies to efficiently uptake P, means that P controls may not control R. raciborskii populations in the short term. Intra-population strain variation in P storage capacity will need to be reflected in process-based models to predict blooms of R. raciborskii and other cyanobacteria adapted to low-P conditions.