In vivo positive effects of exogenous pyrophosphate on Escherichia coli cell growth and stationary phase survival

We have studied the effect of exogenous pyrophosphate on growing cells of Escherichia coli. In the presence of 10 mM of pyrophosphate, the entry into the stationary phase was delayed and thus a significant increase in the growth yield was observed (25 to 35%) when the bacteria were grown in glucose minimal medium. Furthermore, the synthesis of 52 polypeptides was affected, as demonstrated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Among the 22 proteins identified by comparison with the E. coli gene-protein index and/or by microsequencing procedures, 15 were involved either in catabolic or anabolic pathways of the intermediary metabolism or in stress responses. Subsequent physiological experiments enabled us to conclude that pyrophosphate exerted a direct or indirect effect on bacterial growth by (1) conferring upon cells a better capacity to use carbon sources and (2) inducing biosynthetic processes. Finally, we show that exogeneous pyrophosphate enhanced the stationary phase survival of E. coli cells.