A sensitive method for the quantification of the mass of inositol phosphates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A Miniaturized Column Chromatography Method for Measuring Receptor-Mediated Inositol Phosphate Accumulation

Inositol phosphates (IPs), such as 1,4,5-inositol-trisphosphate (IP3), comprise a ubiquitous intracellular signaling cascade initiated in response to G protein-coupled receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase C. Classical methods for measuring intracellular accumulation of these molecules include time-consuming high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation or large-volume, gravity-fed anion-exchange column chromatography. More recent approaches, such as radio-receptor and AlphaScreen™ assays, offer higher throughput. However, these techniques rely on measurement of IP3itself, rather than its accumulation with other downstream IPs, and often suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratios due to the transient nature of IP3. The authors have developed a miniaturized, anion-exchange chromatography method for measuring inositol phosphate accumulation in cells that takes advantage of signal amplification achieved through measuring IP3and downstream IPs. This assay uses centrifugation of 96-well-formatted anion-exchange mini-columns for the isolation of radiolabeled inositol phosphates from cell extracts, followed by low-background dry-scintillation counting. This improved assay method measures receptor-mediated IP accumulation with signal-to-noise and pharmacological values comparable to the classical large-volume, column-based methods. Assay validation data for recombinant muscarinic receptor 1, galanin receptor 2, and rat astrocyte metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 are presented. This miniaturized protocol reduces reagent usage and assay time as compared to large-column methods and is compatible with standard 96-well scintillation counters.

Analysis of cellular phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate levels and distribution using confocal fluorescent microscopy

We have developed an immunocytochemistry method for the semiquantitative detection of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) at the cell plasma membrane. This protocol combines the use of a glutathione S-transferase-tagged pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of the general phosphoinositides-1 receptor (GST-GRP1PH) with fluorescence confocal microscopy and image segmentation using cell mask software analysis. This methodology allows the analysis of PI(3,4,5)P3 subcellular distribution in resting and epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated HEK293T cells and in LIM1215 (wild-type phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)) and LIM2550 (H1047R mutation in PI3K catalytic domain) colonic carcinoma cells. Formation of PI(3,4,5)P3 was observed 5min following EGF stimulation and resulted in an increase of the membrane/cytoplasm fluorescence ratio from 1.03 to 1.53 for HEK293T cells and from 2.2 to 3.3 for LIM1215 cells. Resting LIM2550 cells stained with GST-GRP1PH had an elevated membrane/cytoplasm fluorescence ratio of 9.8, suggesting constitutive PI3K activation. The increase in the membrane/cytoplasm fluorescent ratio was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. This cellular confocal imaging assay can be used to directly assess the effects of PI3K mutations in cancer cell lines and to determine the potential specificity and effectiveness of PI3K inhibitors in cancer cells.

Identification of the inositol isomers present in Tetrahymena

The inositol isomer composition of phosphoinositides, polyphosphoinositols, phosphatidylinositol-linked glycans, and glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins of logarithmic phase Tetrahymena vorax was determined by GC-MS analysis of trimethylsilylimadazole derivatives. The most abundant inositol found was the myo-isomer; however, appreciable percentages of scylloinositol were present in the free inositol pool, phosphatidylinositol-linked glycan fraction, and glycosyl phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein fraction. Trace quantities of chiro- and neo-inositols also were present.

Quantitative chromatographic analysis of inositol phospholipids and related compounds

The metabolism of phospholipids and the mobilization of second messengers such as inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) and arachidonic acid (AA) from phospholipids is commonly studied by radiolabelling phospholipids with [3H]myo-inositol or [32P]ATP and measuring the incorporation of radioactivity in different phospholipids or their hydrolysis products. However, for the radiolabelling method to accurately reflect changes in the compound's mass, it is essential that the tissue is labelled to isotopic equilibrium which is difficult to achieve. To circumvent the disadvantages of the radiolabelling method, several analytical procedures have been developed for the mass analysis of phospholipids and inositolphosphates (IPs). Quantitation of the mass or the radiolabelling of phospholipids is a complex multi-step procedure that involves quantitative isolation of phospholipids, fractionation of individual phospholipids and either determination of radioactivity in each component or the measurement of their mass. Phospholipids, DAG and AA are extracted from tissue sample with organic solvents such as chloroform-methanol (2:1) containing HCl or formic acid. The extract is separated by TLC, cartridge-column chromatography or HPLC on a reversed-phase column. Phospholipids are quantitated by measuring inorganic phosphate, absorption at 200 nm or mass spectrometry. Inositol phosphates are extracted with perchloric acid or trichloroacetic acid and separated by ion-exchange cartridge-column or HPLC with an ion-exchange column. IPs are quantitated by measuring inorganic phosphate or by using enzymatic reaction, metal-dye coupling, NMR or mass spectrometry.

Phosphatidic acid stimulates inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate production in adult cardiac myocytes

The cellular content of phosphatidic acid can increase in response to several agonists either by phosphorylation of diacylglycerol after phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipids or directly through activation of phospholipase D. Although previous findings indicated that the generation of phosphatidic acid was exclusively a means of regulation of the cellular concentration of diacylglycerol, more recent studies have indicated that phosphatidic acid may also directly regulate several cellular functions. Accordingly, the present study was performed to assess whether phosphatidic acid could stimulate cardiac phospholipase C in intact adult rabbit ventricular myocytes. The mass of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins (1,4,5)P3] was determined by a specific and sensitive binding protein assay and by direct mass measurement using anion exchange chromatography for separation of selected inositol phosphates and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for quantification of inositol monophosphate (IP1), inositol bisphosphate (IP2), inositol trisphosphate (IP3), and inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4). Phosphatidic acid (10(-9)-10(-6) M) elicited a rapid concentration-dependent increase in Ins (1,4,5)P3 accumulation, with the peak fourfold to fivefold increase at 30 seconds of stimulation; the concentration required for 50% of maximal stimulation was 4.4 x 10(-8) M. The time course of individual inositol phosphates indicated a successive increase in the mass of IP3, IP4, IP2, and IP1 in response to stimulation with phosphatidic acid. The production of Ins (1,4,5)P3 in response to phosphatidic acid was not altered in the absence of extracellular calcium or in the presence of extracellular EGTA (10(-3) M). Thus, these findings indicate that phosphatidic acid is a potent activator of inositol phosphate production in adult ventricular myocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Association of phospholipase C-delta with a highly enriched preparation of canine sarcolemma

Myocardial synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is highly compartmentalized in the sarcolemmal membrane. Sarcolemmal vesicles contain endogenous phospholipase C (PLC), but the identity of sarcolemmal PLC and its relationship to soluble PLC have not been determined previously. Sarcolemmal and cytosolic PLC were prepared from canine myocardium and characterized by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and by immunoblotting with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to isoenzymes of PLC (PLC beta, PLC gamma, and PLC delta). DEAE-cellulose chromatography resolved two forms of cytosolic PLC that were identified as an 85-kDa form of PLC delta and a 145-kDa form of PLC gamma. In contrast, DEAE-cellulose chromatography resolved a single form of sarcolemmal PLC that was identified as an 85-kDa form of PLC delta. These data demonstrate that PLC gamma and PLC delta are expressed in canine myocardium and that an 85-kDa form of PLC delta is selectively associated with sites of PIP2 synthesis in a highly enriched preparation of sarcolemma. These data do not exclude the existence of additional isoenzymes of sarcolemmal PLC that may have been removed during isolation of sarcolemmal membranes.