Regulations of myo-inositol homeostasis: Mechanisms, implications, and perspectives

Structural and functional profile of phytases across the domains of life

Phytase enzymes are a crucial component of the natural phosphorus cycle, as they help make phosphate bioavailable by releasing it from phytate, the primary reservoir of organic phosphorus in grain and soil. Phytases also comprise a significant segment of the agricultural enzyme market, used primarily as an animal feed additive. At least four structurally and mechanistically distinct classes of phytases have evolved in bacteria and eukaryotes, and the natural diversity of each class is explored here using advances in protein structure prediction and functional annotation. This graphical review aims to provide a succinct description of the major classes of phytase enzymes across phyla, including their structures, conserved motifs, and mechanisms of action.

The developmental trajectory of 1H-MRS brain metabolites from childhood to adulthood

Human brain development is ongoing throughout childhood, with for example, myelination of nerve fibers and refinement of synaptic connections continuing until early adulthood. 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) can be used to quantify the concentrations of endogenous metabolites (e.g. glutamate and γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA)) in the human brain in vivo and so can provide valuable, tractable insight into the biochemical processes that support postnatal neurodevelopment. This can feasibly provide new insight into and aid the management of neurodevelopmental disorders by providing chemical markers of atypical development. This study aims to characterize the normative developmental trajectory of various brain metabolites, as measured by 1H-MRS from a midline posterior parietal voxel. We find significant non-linear trajectories for GABA+ (GABA plus macromolecules), Glx (glutamate + glutamine), total choline (tCho) and total creatine (tCr) concentrations. Glx and GABA+ concentrations steeply decrease across childhood, with more stable trajectories across early adulthood. tCr and tCho concentrations increase from childhood to early adulthood. Total N-acetyl aspartate (tNAA) and Myo-Inositol (mI) concentrations are relatively stable across development. Trajectories likely reflect fundamental neurodevelopmental processes (including local circuit refinement) which occur from childhood to early adulthood and can be associated with cognitive development; we find GABA+ concentrations significantly positively correlate with recognition memory scores.

Activated Inositol Phosphate, Substrate for Synthesis of Prostaglandylinositol Cyclic Phosphate (Cyclic PIP)-The Key for the Effectiveness of Inositol-Feeding

The natural cyclic AMP antagonist, prostaglandylinositol cyclic phosphate (cyclic PIP), is biosynthesized from prostaglandin E (PGE) and activated inositol phosphate (n-Ins-P), which is synthesized by a particulate rat-liver-enzyme from GTP and a precursor named inositol phosphate (pr-Ins-P), whose 5-ring phosphodiester structure is essential for n-Ins-P synthesis. Aortic myocytes, preincubated with [3H] myo-inositol, synthesize after angiotensin II stimulation (30 s) [3H] pr-Ins-P (65% yield), which is converted to [3H] n-Ins-P and [3H] cyclic PIP. Acid-treated (1 min) [3H] pr-Ins-P co-elutes with inositol (1,4)-bisphosphate in high performance ion chromatography, indicating that pr-Ins-P is inositol (1:2-cyclic,4)-bisphosphate. Incubation of [3H]-GTP with unlabeled pr-Ins-P gave [3H]-guanosine-labeled n-Ins-P. Cyclic PIP synthase binds the inositol (1:2-cyclic)-phosphate part of n-Ins-P to PGE and releases the [3H]-labeled guanosine as [3H]-GDP. Thus, n-Ins-P is most likely guanosine diphospho-4-inositol (1:2-cyclic)-phosphate. Inositol feeding helps patients with metabolic conditions related to insulin resistance, but explanations for this finding are missing. Cyclic PIP appears to be the key for explaining the curative effect of inositol supplementation: (1) inositol is a molecular constituent of cyclic PIP; (2) cyclic PIP triggers many of insulin's actions intracellularly; and (3) the synthesis of cyclic PIP is decreased in diabetes as shown in rodents.

Emerging role of inositol monophosphatase in cancer

Inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) is an enzyme with two homologs-IMPA1 and IMPA2-that is responsible for dephosphorylating myo-inositol monophosphate to generate myo-inositol. IMPase has been extensively studied in neuropsychiatric diseases and is regarded as a susceptibility gene. Recently, emerging evidence has implied that IMPase is linked to cancer development and progression and correlates with patient survival outcomes. Interestingly, whether it acts as a tumor-promoter or tumor-suppressor is inconsistent among different research studies. In this review, we summarize the latest findings on IMPase in cancer, focusing on exploring the underlying mechanisms for its pro- and anticancer roles. In addition, we discuss the potential methods of IMPase regulation in cancer cells and the possible approaches for IMPase intervention in clinical practice.

Stable Isotopomers of myo-Inositol Uncover a Complex MINPP1-Dependent Inositol Phosphate Network

The water-soluble inositol phosphates (InsPs) represent a functionally diverse group of small-molecule messengers involved in a myriad of cellular processes. Despite their centrality, our understanding of human InsP metabolism is incomplete because the available analytical toolset to characterize and quantify InsPs in complex samples is limited. Here, we have synthesized and applied symmetrically and unsymmetrically ¹³C-labeled myo-inositol and inositol phosphates. These probes were utilized in combination with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE-MS) to investigate InsP metabolism in human cells. The labeling strategy provided detailed structural information via NMR-down to individual enantiomers-which overcomes a crucial blind spot in the analysis of InsPs. We uncovered a novel branch of InsP dephosphorylation in human cells which is dependent on MINPP1, a phytase-like enzyme contributing to cellular homeostasis. Detailed characterization of MINPP1 activity in vitro and in cells showcased the unique reactivity of this phosphatase. Our results demonstrate that metabolic labeling with stable isotopomers in conjunction with NMR spectroscopy and CE-MS constitutes a powerful tool to annotate InsP networks in a variety of biological contexts.