Page 12 - The Biochemistry of Inorganic Polyphosphates

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March 9, 2004
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FOREWORD TO THE

FIRST EDITION

The presence of high-molecular-weight polyphosphates in many microorganisms such as
yeast, fungi and bacteria, has been known for a long time, but studies on the biochemical
functions of these substances are of much more recent origin and still in a rudimentary
state. Professor Igor S. Kulaev, one of the most eminent pupils of the late Professor Andrei
N.Belozersky,whowasaninternationallyknownauthorityonnucleicacids,hasdedicatedin
his laboratory at the University of Moscow, in conjunction with a large team of collaborators,
intensive studies over many years to the somewhat neglected subject of the biochemical
functions of polyphosphates. His group has studied the enzymes involved in the synthesis
and breakdown of these compounds. There is no doubt that in some cases they can take
over the phosphorylation functions of adenosine 5 -triphosphate (ATP), as the phosphate

residues are linked together to form energy-rich phosphate bonds.
Professor Kulaev has taken the not inconsiderable trouble of collecting and critically
reviewing the large amount of literature now available on the subject in one monograph, at
present the only one in existence on this important field of study. With this onerous and time-
consuming task, he has rendered a signal service to the international biochemical commu-
nity, which owes him a large debt of gratitude for this work.
Professor Kulaev has shown that the study of the biochemical functions of the high-
molecular-weight polyphosphates is still a very active field of research, offering a great
challenge to the enterprising young biochemist in which many discoveries of general im-
portance can still be made.

Professor Emeritus Ernst Chain, FRS
Imperial College of Science and Technology
London
1979

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