Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) consist of linear chains of orthophosphate residues, linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds. They are evolutionarily old biopolymers that are present from bacteria to man. No other molecule concentrates as much (bio)chemically usable energy as polyP. However, the function and metabolism of this long-neglected polymer are scarcely known, especially in higher eukaryotes. In recent years, interest in polyP experienced a renaissance, beginning with the discovery of polyP as phosphate source in bone mineralization. Later, two discoveries placed polyP into the focus of regenerative medicine applications. First, polyP shows morphogenetic activity, i.e., induces cell differentiation via gene induction, and, second, acts as an energy storage and donor in the extracellular space. Studies on acidocalcisomes and mitochondria provided first insights into the enzymatic basis of eukaryotic polyP formation. In addition, a concerted action of alkaline phosphatase and adenylate kinase proved crucial for ADP/ATP generation from polyP. PolyP added extracellularly to mammalian cells resulted in a 3-fold increase of ATP. The importance and mechanism of this phosphotransfer reaction for energy-consuming processes in the extracellular matrix are discussed. This review aims to give a critical overview about the formation and function of this unique polymer that is capable of storing (bio)chemically useful energy.