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Cells need to carefully control their internal stores of inorganic phosphate, which is both an essential nutrient and potentially toxic. They face a phosphate challenge for several reasons. Growth requires a minimal concentration of this limiting resource because intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi) is a compound of nucleic acids and modifies most cellular proteins. At the same time, cytosolic Pi may not rise much, because elevated cytosolic Pi can stall metabolism.