SnapShot: Inositol Phosphates

SnapShot: Inositol Phosphates

Inositol phosphates in aquatic systems

While there is a considerable body of research on the abundance and behavior of inositol hexakisphosphate in soils, much less is known regarding its behaviour in aquatic systems. The observed physico-chemical behaviour of this organic P species suggests that in marine and freshwaters, it should be complexed and precipitated by major ions such as calcium, magnesium, iron or aluminium, and thus i...

Stereoselective synthesis of inositol phosphates

Pseudomonas putia'a oxidation of benzene affords cis-3,5-cyclohexadiene1,2diol (JJ which serves as a novel precursor for the syntheses of several natural products including (+)-pinitol, (+)-condunto1 F, D-(-)-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and Dmyo-inositol 1-phosphate. The versatility of this approach is further demonstrated by the preparation of other functionalised cyclitol derivatives, in...

Inositol Phosphates: A Remarkably Versatile Enzyme

Ins(3,4,5,6)P(4) is an inhibitor of Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels, but further understanding has been hindered by ignorance of how it is made in cells. It now transpires that one protein with ATP-dependent kinase and phosphatase activities interconverts Ins(3,4,5,6)P(4) and Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P(5), as well as several other inositol polyphosphates.

Intracellular signalling: Inositol phosphates –  whither bound?

Perhaps we should not be surprised if, as more and more intracellular inositol phosphates and lipids are discovered, the number of proteins found to bind them also grows. But as the number of inositol phosphate-binding proteins increases, one might hope that some pattern would emerge in the form of some similarity in sequence or function of the inositol phosphate-binding proteins. So far, howev...