The addition of exogenous pyrophosphate increases the growth yield and cAMP synthesis in stationary phase when Escherichia coli is grown in minimal medium. Pyrophosphate increases the yield by altering the enterobactin uptake system. We studied the physiological effects and examined how the E. coli transcriptome was modified when two structural analogs of pyrophosphate were added to the growth medium. Methylenediphosphonic acid or a high concentration of iron had the same positive effects as pyrophosphate on growth yield, cAMP synthesis and the repression of Fur-regulated genes. In contrast, imidodiphosphate did not affect these cellular processes significantly. The transcriptome modifications generated by pyrophosphate or methylenediphosphonic acid were more similar than those generated by imidodiphosphate or excess iron. The transcriptome data also indicated that processes other than iron uptake might be involved in the cellular response to exogenous pyrophosphate or methylenediphosphonic acid.
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