Regioselective Approach to Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-Bisphosphates: Syntheses of the Native Phospholipid and Biotinylated Short-Chain Derivative

Design and synthesis of the penta(acetoxymethyl) ester of dioctanoyl phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate

Extracellular administration of water-soluble and membrane-permeant analogs of phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) is a useful strategy for understanding the cellular roles of PIPs as well as the mode of action of drugs whose biological activity is associated with PIPs. We herein established the synthetic route to the dioctanoyl analogue of phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (di-C₈-PI(3,5)P₂) and its penta(acetoxymethyl) ester (di-C₈-PI(3,5)P₂/5AM).

Optotaxis: Caged Lysophosphatidic Acid Enables Optical Control of a Chemotactic Gradient

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a serum-borne lipid mediator that binds to a variety of different G protein-coupled receptors to trigger an exceptionally wide range of biological effects, including cell survival and differentiation, cancer cell migration, and embryonic development. Here we synthesized caged LPA (cgLPA), a "photolysable" coumarin-masked derivative of LPA. We demonstrate that illumination of cgLPA with 405 nm light liberates bioactive LPA on a subsecond scale to evoke Ca(2+) signaling, Rho activation, and cytoskeletal contraction. In addition, we developed an "optotaxis" assay to attract melanoma cells through a stable chemotactic gradient by repeated liberation of LPA through local photolysis of extracellular cgLPA. We expect that this method of light-controlled chemotaxis will be generally applicable to a large variety of small molecules that drive cellular migration or other responses.

Vicenistatin induces early endosome-derived vacuole formation in mammalian cells

Homotypic fusion of early endosomes is important for efficient protein trafficking and sorting. The key controller of this process is Rab5 which regulates several effectors and PtdInsPs levels, but whose mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report that vicenistatin, a natural product, enhanced homotypic fusion of early endosomes and induced the formation of large vacuole-like structures in mammalian cells. Unlike YM201636, another early endosome vacuolating compound, vicenistatin did not inhibit PIKfyve activity in vitro but activated Rab5-PAS pathway in cells. Furthermore, vicenistatin increased the membrane surface fluidity of cholesterol-containing liposomes in vitro, and cholesterol deprivation from the plasma membrane stimulated vicenistatin-induced vacuolation in cells. These results suggest that vicenistatin is a novel compound that induces the formation of vacuole-like structures by activating Rab5-PAS pathway and increasing membrane fluidity.

Caged lipids as tools for investigating cellular signaling

Lipid derivatives that can be activated by light, often referred to as 'caged' lipids, are useful tools to manipulate intact cells non-invasively. Here we focus on experimental approaches that have made use of caged lipids. Apart from summarizing the recent advances and available tools in the field, we strive to highlight the experimental challenges that arise from lipid-specific biophysical properties and the abundance of an enormous diversity of distinct molecular lipid species in cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Tools to study lipid functions.

Desymmetrization of 4,6-diprotected myo-inositol

The asymmetric desymmetrization of 4,6-diprotected myo-inositol derivatives was achieved by using a bifunctional, readily available nucleophilic catalyst. The orthogonally protected products were obtained in 80-99% yield with 90-99% ee. Such structures serve as potential enantiopure building blocks for the synthesis of myo-inositol phosphates.

Inhibition of PIKfyve by YM-201636 dysregulates autophagy and leads to apoptosis-independent neuronal cell death

The lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(3,5)P₂), synthesised by PIKfyve, regulates a number of intracellular membrane trafficking pathways. Genetic alteration of the PIKfyve complex, leading to even a mild reduction in PtdIns(3,5)P₂, results in marked neurodegeneration via an uncharacterised mechanism. In the present study we have shown that selectively inhibiting PIKfyve activity, using YM-201636, significantly reduces the survival of primary mouse hippocampal neurons in culture. YM-201636 treatment promoted vacuolation of endolysosomal membranes followed by apoptosis-independent cell death. Many vacuoles contained intravacuolar membranes and inclusions reminiscent of autolysosomes. Accordingly, YM-201636 treatment increased the level of the autophagosomal marker protein LC3-II, an effect that was potentiated by inhibition of lysosomal proteases, suggesting that alterations in autophagy could be a contributing factor to neuronal cell death.

Phosphoinositides in neuroexocytosis and neuronal diseases

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are a family of phospholipids derived from phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns), whose location, synthesis, and degradation depend on specific PI kinases and phosphatases. PIs have emerged as fundamental regulators of secretory processes, such as neurotransmitter release, hormone secretion, and histamine release in allergic responses. In neurons and neuroendocrine cells, regulated secretion requires the calcium-dependent fusion of transmitter-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane. The role played by PIs in exocytosis is best exemplified by the Ca²⁺-dependent binding of vesicular Synaptotagmin1 to the plasma membrane PtdIns(4,5)P₂, and the recently demonstrated role of PtdIns(4,5)P₂ in the mobilization of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane. New evidence has also recently emerged of an alternative PI pathway that can control exocytosis positively (via PtdIn3P) or negatively (via PtdIns(3,5)P₂). However, the positive or negative effectors for these pathways remain to be established. Reducing PtdIns(3,5)P₂ potentiates neuroexocytosis but leads to neuronal degeneration and has been linked to certain forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The goal of this review is to describe the role of PIs in neuroexocytosis and explore the current hypotheses linking these effects to human diseases.

Microarray analysis of Akt PH domain binding employing synthetic biotinylated analogs of all seven phosphoinositide headgroup isomers

Signaling lipids control many of the most important biological pathways, typically by recruiting cognate protein binding targets to cell surfaces, thereby regulating both their function and subcellular localization. A critical family of signaling lipids is that of the phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates (PIP(n)s), which is composed of seven isomers that vary based on phosphorylation pattern. A key protein that is activated upon PIP(n) binding is Akt, which then plays important roles in regulating the cell cycle, and is thus aberrant in disease. Characterization of protein-PIP(n) binding interactions is hindered by the complexity of the membrane environment and of the PIP(n) structures. Herein, we describe two rapid assays of use for characterizing protein-PIP(n) binding interactions. First, a microplate-based binding assay was devised to characterize the binding of effectors to immobilized synthetic PIP(n) headgroup-biotin conjugates corresponding to all seven isomers. The assay was implemented for simultaneous analysis of Akt-PH domain, indicating PI(3,4,5)P(3) and PI(3,4)P(2) as the primary ligands. In addition, density-dependant studies indicated that the amount of ligand immobilized on the surface affected the amplitude of protein binding, but not the affinity, for Akt-PH. Since the PIP(n) ligand motifs used in this analysis lack the membrane environment and glycerolipid backbone, yet still exhibit high-affinity protein binding, these results narrow down the structural requirements for Akt recognition. Additionally, binding detection was also achieved through microarray analysis via the robotic pin printing of ligands onto glass slides in a miniaturized format. Here, fluorescence-based detection provided sensitive detection of binding using minimal amounts of materials. Due to their high-throughput and versatile attributes, these assays provide invaluable tools for probing and perturbing protein-membrane binding interactions.