Inositol phosphates are a group of mono- to hexa phosphorylated

inositol Inositol, or more precisely ''myo''-inositol, is a carbocyclic sugar that is abundant in the brain and other mammalian tissues; it mediates cell signal transduction in response to a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors and ...

s. They play crucial roles in diverse cellular functions, such as cell growth, apoptosis, cell migration, endocytosis, and cell differentiation. The group comprises: * inositol monophosphate (IP) * inositol bisphosphate (IP₂) * inositol trisphosphate (IP₃) *

inositol pentakisphosphate Inositol pentakisphosphate (abbreviated IP5) is a molecule derived from inositol tetrakisphosphate by adding a phosphate group with the help of Inositol-polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK). It is believed to be one of the many second messengers in ...

(IP₅) * inositol hexaphosphate (IP₆) also known as

phytic acid Phytic acid is a six-fold dihydrogenphosphate ester of inositol (specifically, of the ''myo'' isomer), also called inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) or inositol polyphosphate. At physiological pH, the phosphates are partially ionized, resulting ...

, or phytate (as a salt).

Functions

Inositol triphosphate

Inositol trisphosphates act on the

inositol triphosphate receptor Inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) is a membrane glycoprotein complex acting as a Ca2+ channel activated by inositol trisphosphate (InsP3). InsP3R is very diverse among organisms, and is necessary for the control of cellular and physiol ...

to release calcium into the cytoplasm. ''Further reading: Function of calcium in humans''

Other

Inositol tetra-,

penta- Numeral or number prefixes are prefixes derived from numerals or occasionally other numbers. In English and many other languages, they are used to coin numerous series of words. For example: * unicycle, bicycle, tricycle (1-cycle, 2-cycle, 3-cy ...

, and hexa-phosphates have been implicated in

gene expression Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, protein or non-coding RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype, as the final effect. The ...

Inositol hexaphosphate

Inositol hexaphosphate facilitates the formation of the six-helix bundle and assembly of the immature HIV-1 Gag lattice. IP6 makes ionic contacts with two rings of lysine residues at the centre of the Gag hexamer. Proteolytic cleavage then unmasks an alternative binding site, where IP6 interaction promotes the assembly of the mature capsid lattice. These studies identify IP6 as a naturally occurring small molecule that promotes both assembly and maturation of HIV-1.

References

External links

Organophosphates Phosphate esters Signal transduction Inositol {{biochem-stub