The effect of anoxia on PolyP content of Phycomyces blakesleeanus mycelium studied by 31P NMR spectroscopy.

The effect of anoxia and the respiratory chain inhibitors azide and cyanide on the polyphosphate content of Phycomyces was studied by in vivo (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Anoxia was manifested by a decrease of core polyphosphates (PP(i)) and increase of intracellular inorganic phosphate (P(i)) signal. Normalized changes in PP(i)/P(i) ratio between control and nitrogen-purged mycelia suggest that the sensitivity to anoxia differs with growth phases. Azide acts in the same way as anoxia, by decreasing the PP(i)/P(i) ratio, while cyanide causes an increase of the PP(i)/P(i) ratio.