Phosphate Bioenergetics

Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) is the simplest molecule capable of incorporating the POP pyrophosphate bond, the chemical structure used by all living beings to store and dispose of the chemical bond energy. The PPi is generally regarded as a byproduct of metabolism without value for the cell, but recent studies -in which our group, among others, was involved- indicate that a growing number of organisms (many bacteria, archaea and protists, and all photosynthetic eukaryotes) are able to use PPi as a key metabolite in a "low cost" bioenergetics that would constitute an adaptive advantage under circumstances that chronically depress the cell energy status. Through various bioengineering strategies our group is currently changing the PPi metabolism in yeast and animal cells by using proteins of plant and microbial origin with biotechnological and biomedical purposes, so that those organisms be capable of utilizing PPi as a sustainable energy source, alternative to ATP, under stress.