Oxidative stress protection by polyphosphate — new roles for an old player

Highlights • Polyphosphate protects bacteria from oxidative stress by multiple mechanisms. • Polyphosphate is a chaperone that prevents aggregation of oxidized proteins. • Polyphosphate–metal complexes lower levels of ROS and redox-active metals in cells. • Polyphosphate is a key regulator of persister cell formation. • Polyphosphate is involved in regulation of general stress response networks.