Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinases:functions and regulations

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase (IP3 3-kinase/IP3K) plays an important role in signal transduction in animal cellsby phosphorylating inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4). Both IP3 and IP4 arecritical second messengers which regulate calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Mammalian IP3Ks are involved in many biologicalprocesses, including brain development, memory, learning and so on. It is widely reported that Ca2+ is a canonicalsecond messenger in higher plants. Therefore, plant IP3K should also play a crucial role in plant development. Recently,we reported the identification of plant IP3K gene (AtIpk2β/AtIP3K) from Arabidopsis thaliana and its characterization.Here, we summarize the molecular cloning, biochemical properties and biological functions of IP3Ks from animal, yeastand plant. This review also discusses potential functions of IP3Ks in signaling crosstalk, inositol phosphate metabolism,gene transcriptional control and so on.

PI3K/SHIP2/PTEN pathway in cell polarity and hepatitis C virus pathogenesis

Hepatitis C virus(HCV) infects hepatocytes, polarized cells in the liver. Chronic HCV infection often leads to steatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it has been identified as the leading cause of liver transplantation worldwide. The HCV replication cycle is dependent on lipid metabolism and particularly an accumulation of lipid droplets in host cells. Phosphoinositides(PIs) are minor phospholipids enriched in different membranes and their levels are tightly regulated by specific PI kinases and phosphatases. PIs are implicated in a vast array of cellular responses that are central to morphogenesis, such as cytoskeletal changes, cytokinesis and the recruitment of downstream effectors to govern mechanisms involved in polarization and lumen formation. Important reviews of the literature identified phosphatidylinositol(Ptd Ins) 4-kinases, and their lipid products Ptd Ins(4)P, as critical regulators of the HCV life cycle. SH2-containing inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase(SHIP2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K) and their lipid products Ptd Ins(3,4)P2 and Ptd Ins(3,4,5)P3, respectively, play an important role in the cell membrane and are key to the establishment of apicobasal polarity and lumen formation. In this review, we will focus on these new functions of PI3 K and SHIP2, and their deregulation by HCV, causing a disruption of apicobasal polarity, actin organization and extracellular matrix assembly. Finally we will highlight the involvement of this pathway in the event of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease related to HCV infection.

Synthesis of unsaturated phosphatidyl inositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate

Phosphatidylinositol polyphosphate (PIPx) are related with tyrosine kinase activation and cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. PIPx is an important target compound for synthetic organic chemist. PIPx having saturated fatty acid components have been reported. Recently we have succeeded in the synthesis of phosphatydylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate with unsaturated fatty acid component by the reaction of diethyl chlorophosphite with 1,2-di-O-cyclohexylidene-3,4-0-(tetraisopropyldisiloxane 1,3-diyl)-6-O-(4-oxopentanoyl)-myo-inositol.