Polyphosphate in Zygomycetes: a cytochemical study

Abstract

The inorganic phosphorus content, and distribution, structure and localization of polyphosphate in mycelia of zygomycetous fungi was evaluated. Ultrastructural cytochemistry was successfully used to identifying the localization and distribution of polyphosphate in Absidia cylindrospora, Gongronella butleri and Mucor javanicus. The results revealed differences in the cytochemical staining pattern in all species studied and a uniform labeling on the cellular surface (cell wall and citoplasmic membrane). Reaction products were observed in intracellular structures and cellular membrane. Intracellular staining was observed in trabecullar, vacuolar and vesicular structures, in dense bodies and in the cytoplasm. However, the cytochemical staining intensity varied during the cellular growth. Analytical procedure revealed the phosphorus content during cell growth. The results demonstrated that phosphorus content varied during cultivation time and could be related to the polyphosphate cytochemical staining. Polyhosphate functions such as storage and utilization are discussed.

Specific localization of inorganic polyphosphate (poly P) in fungal cell walls by selective extraction and immunohistochemistry

“…In contrast to all previous studies on poly P in fungal cell walls, we employed speciWc PBPs to localize poly P in the cell wall. Other studies on poly P in fungal cell walls either analyzed isolated cell walls or performed electron microscopy (Datema et al, 1977;Harold, 1962;Shari'a et al, 2002;Tijssen et al, 1985). The major limitation for the unmistakable localization of poly P in isolated fungal cell walls are the huge poly P stores that occur in almost all fungi intracellularly.…”

“…A high poly P content was found in cell wall preparations of various zygomycetes (Datema et al, 1977), and its presence was inferred from electron microscopical observation after staining with osmium tetroxide or lead (Shari'a et al, 2002;Tijssen et al, 1985). Poly P has also been reported for the cell envelope of the ascomycetes Neurospora crassa, Endomyces magnusii (Kulaev et al, 2004) and Kluyveromyces marxianus (Tijssen et al, 1985).…”

Cadmium Tolerance and Removal from Cunninghamella elegans Related to the Polyphosphate Metabolism

“…Shari’a et al [39] demonstrated the presence of polyphosphate on the cell surface, cell membrane, vacuoles and cytoplasm from three species of Zygomycetes fungi. Moreover, Lima et al [24] detected polyphosphate in the form of electron-dense granules in different cellular compartments of C. elegans , such as cell walls, vacuoles, cell membrane and cytoplasm.…”

31P NMR study of polyphosphate levels during different growth phases of Phycomyces blakesleeanus

“…Having in mind the importance of PolyP in fungal physiology, more complex changes in PolyP content for filamentous fungi could be expected due to their more complex life cycle. An attempt to correlate the total phosphorous content with the PolyP content using cytochemical staining of zygomycetous fungi (Nascimento Shari'a et al 2002) suggested that phosphorus content varies during cultivation time and could be related to the overall polyphosphate content.…”