The Metabolism of Polyphosphates in Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum

Abstract

The synthesis and breakdown of long chain polyphosphate in C. thiosulfatophilum was studied. An enzyme is present which reversibly transfers phosphate groups from polyphosphate to adenosine-diphosphate to give adenosine-triphosphate. A second enzyme, an adenosine triphosphatase probably located in the cytoplasmic membrane, hydrolyzes the adenosine-triphosphate, so formed to adenosine-diphosphate and orthophosphate.