Formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate from inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and their pathways of degradation in RBL-2H3 cells

Previous studies with antigen-stimulated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells indicated the formation of multiple isomers of each of the various categories of inositol phosphates. The identities of the different isomers have been elucidated by selective labeling of [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate with [32P]phosphate in the 3'-or 4',5'-positions and by following the metabolism of different radiolabeled inositol phosphates in extracts of RBL-2H3 cells. We report here that inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, when incubated with the membrane fraction of extracts of RBL-2H3 cells, was converted to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. Further dephosphorylation of the inositol polyphosphates proceeded rapidly in whole extracts of cells, although the process was significantly retarded when ATP (2 mM) levels were maintained by an ATP-regenerating system. The degradation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate proceeded with the sequential formation of inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, the inositol 4-monophosphate (with smaller amounts of the 1-monophosphate), and finally inositol. Inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate, on the other hand, was converted to inositol 1,3-bisphosphate and inositol 3,4-bisphosphate and subsequently to inositol 4-monophosphate and inositol 1-monophosphate (stereoisomeric forms were undetermined). The possible implications of the apparent interconversion between inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in regulating histamine secretion in the RBL-2H3 cells are discussed.     

Mass measurements of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in a neuronal cell line stimulated with bradykinin: inositolphosphate response shows desensitization.

In a neuronal cell line (108CC15, NG108-15) the levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (InsP4), as measured by receptor binding assays, rise transiently after stimulation with bradykinin (EC50 approx. 150 nM). Maximal InsP3 level of 354 pmol/mg protein (15-fold basal level) is obtained at 10-15 s after addition of bradykinin, the InsP4 level rises maximally to 78 pmol/mg protein (14-fold basal level) at 20-30 s. In a rat glioma cell line, bradykinin (2 microM) causes a fast 6-fold increase in InsP3 and InsP4 levels. In the neuronal cells the bradykinin-dependent rise of the inositolphosphate levels is diminished with reduced extracellular Ca2+ concentration. However, depletion of internal Ca2+ stores does not affect the bradykinin-induced rise in InsP3 and InsP4 levels. Homologous desensitization to bradykinin occurs in the signal transduction pathway already at the production of inositolphosphates, since after a 2 min stimulation with bradykinin the rise in cellular masses of InsP3 and InsP4, inducible by a following second bradykinin stimulus, is substantially reduced.     

Degradation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphates by porcine brain cytosol yields inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphates (Ins(1,3,4,5)P4), 32P-labelled in positions 4 and 5 were prepared enzymatically, using [4-32P]-phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdInsP) and [5-32P]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) as substrates, respectively. Degradation studies of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, using an enriched phosphatase preparation from porcine brain cytosol, led to the formation of two inositol trisphosphate isomers which were identified as inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate (Ins(1,3,4)P3) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3). This novel degradation pathway of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 to Ins(1,4,5)P3 provides an additional source for the generation of Ins(1,4,5)P3, involving a 3-phosphatase.     

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate act by different mechanisms when controlling Ca2+ in mouse lacrimal acinar cells

In internally perfused single lacrimal acinar cells the competitive inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins 1,4,5-P3)-antagonist heparin inhibits the ACh-evoked K+ current response mediated by internal Ca2+ and also blocks both the Ins 1,4,5-P3-evoked transient as well as the sustained K+ current increase evoked by combined stimulation with internal Ins 1,4,5-P3 and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins 1,3,4,5-P4). When, during sustained stimulation with both Ins 1,4,5-P3 and Ins 1,3,4,5-P4, one of the inositol polyphosphates is removed, the K+ current declines; whereas removal of Ins 1,4,5-P3 results in an immediate termination of the response, removal of Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 only causes a very gradual and slow reduction in the current. Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 is therefore not an acute controller of Ca2+ release from stores into the cytosol, but modulates the release of Ca2+ induced by Ins 1,4,5,P3 by an unknown mechanism, perhaps by linking Ins 1,4,5 P3-sensitive and insensitive Ca2+ stores.     

Interconversion of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate to inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate and (1,3,4)-trisphosphate in permeabilized adrenal glomerulosa cells is calcium-sensitive and ATP-dependent

The metabolism of [3H]inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate was followed in permeabilized bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells. At low Ca++ concentration (pCa = 7.2), more than 90% of [3H]inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate had disappeared within 2 min, while two other metabolites, [3H]inositol (1,3,4)-trisphosphate and [3H]inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate appeared progressively. At higher Ca++ concentrations (pCa = 5.7 and 4.8), the formation of these two metabolites was markedly increased, but completely abolished if the medium was ATP-depleted. The peak levels for the generation of [3H]inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate (1 min) preceded those of [3H]inositol (1,3,4)-trisphosphate and were closely correlated. These results suggest that, in adrenal glomerulosa cells, the isomer inositol (1,3,4)-trisphosphate is generated from inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate via a calcium-sensitive and ATP-dependent phosphorylation/dephosphorylation pathway involving the formation of inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate.     

Metabolism of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate by human erythrocyte membranes. A new mechanism for the formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Human erythrocyte membranes metabolize inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] to inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4)P3] in the presence of Mg2+. In the absence of Mg2+ a less rapid conversion of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 into Ins(1,4,5)P3 was revealed. Such an enzyme activity, if present in hormonally sensitive cells, could provide a mechanism for maintaining constant concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, important for stimulation of Ca2+ entry after Ca2+ mobilization.     

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate causes release of Ca2+ from permeabilized mouse lymphoma L1210 cells by its conversion into inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Addition of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 at micromolar concentrations causes release of Ca2+ from electroporated L1210 cells, but not from digitonin-permeabilized cells. This was shown to be due to its conversion into Ins(1,4,5)P3, because only the electroporated cells convert Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 into Ins(1,4,5)P3. Thus electroporation appears to activate or expose an Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 3-phosphatase.     

Rapid formation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate in rat parotid glands may both result indirectly from receptor-stimulated release of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

Addition of 1 mM-carbachol to [3H]inositol-labelled rat parotid slices stimulated rapid formation of [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, the accumulation of which reached a peak 20 s after stimulation, and then declined rapidly towards a new steady state. The initial rate of formation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate was slower than that for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. The radioactivity in [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate fell quickly in carbachol-stimulated and then atropine-blocked parotid slices, suggesting that it is rapidly metabolized during stimulation. Parotid homogenates rapidly dephosphorylated inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and, less rapidly, inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate was specifically hydrolysed to a compound with the chromatographic properties of inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. The only 3H-labelled phospholipids that we could detect in parotid slices labelled with [3H]inositol for 90 min were phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. Parotid homogenates synthesized inositol tetrakisphosphate from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. This activity was dependent on the presence of ATP. We suggest that, during carbachol stimulation of parotid slices, the key event in inositol lipid metabolism is the activation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-specific phospholipase C. The inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate thus liberated is metabolized in two distinct ways; by direct hydrolysis of the 5-phosphate to form inositol 1,4-bisphosphate and by phosphorylation to form inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate and hence, by hydrolysis of this tetrakisphosphate, to form inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate.     

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate stimulates calcium release from bovine adrenal microsomes by a mechanism independent of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor.

In bovine adrenal microsomes, Ins(1,4,5)P3 binds to a specific high-affinity receptor site (Kd = 11 nM) with low affinity for two other InsP3 isomers, Ins(1,3,4)P3 and Ins(2,4,5)P3. In the same subcellular fractions Ins(1,4,5)P3 was also the most potent stimulus of Ca2+ release of all the inositol phosphates tested. Of the many inositol phosphates recently identified in angiotensin-II-stimulated adrenal glomerulosa and other cells, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 has been implicated as an additional second messenger that may act in conjunction with Ins(1,4,5)P3 to elicit Ca2+ mobilization. In the present study, an independent action of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was observed in bovine adrenal microsomes. Heparin, a sulphated polysaccharide which binds to Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors in several tissues, inhibited both the binding of radiolabelled Ins(1,4,5)P3 and its Ca2(+)-releasing activity in adrenal microsomes. In contrast, heparin did not inhibit the mobilization of Ca2+ by Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, even at doses that abolished the Ins(1,4,5)P3 response. Such differential inhibition of the Ins(1,4,5)P3- and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4-induced Ca2+ responses by heparin indicates that Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 stimulates the release of Ca2+ from a discrete intracellular store, and exerts this action via a specific receptor site that is distinct from the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor.     

Synergistic control of Ca2+ mobilization in permeabilized mouse L1210 lymphoma cells by inositol 2,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate.

L1210 lymphoma cells were permeabilized with digitonin, and the ability of Ins(2,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 to mobilize intracellular Ca2+ was studied. At high doses of Ins(2,4,5)P3 Ca2+ was rapidly released from intracellular stores, and prior or subsequent addition of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 had no discernible effect. However, the Ca2(+)-mobilizing action of low (threshold or just above) concentrations of Ins(2,4,5)P3 was markedly enhanced by Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, which alone caused no mobilization of Ca2+; this phenomenon was shown not to be due to protection of Ins(2,4,5)P3 by the Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 against hydrolysis. The ability of the pre-addition of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 to enhance subsequent Ins(2,4,5)P3-induced Ca2+ mobilization was always seen whether or not the free Ca2+ concentration was low (pCa = 7) or high (pCa = 6). However, at low Ca2+, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 could cause a further mobilization if added after the Ins(2,4,5)P3, whereas at higher Ca2+ values Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was only able to affect Ca2+ if added before Ins(2,4,5)P3. These effects of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 were not, at the same concentration, mimicked by a random mixture of InsP4 isomers obtained by partial acid hydrolysis of phytic acid, by Ins(1,3,4)P3 or by Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5, and they were shown not to be due to enzymic generation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 from Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 by (a) the absence of any detectable production of Ins(1,4,5)P3 if radiolabelled Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 was used, or (b) the observation that Ins(1,3,4,5,6)P5 could mimic Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 provided that higher doses were used; this inositol phosphate, when added radiolabelled, yielded only trace quantities of D/L-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, which itself does not mobilize Ca2+. We interpret these results overall to mean that in these cells there is a small proportion of the Ins(2,4,5)P3-mobilizable Ca2+ pools which can only be mobilized in the presence of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 [or at the least, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 can help Ins(2,4,5)P3 to gain access to them]. The significance of this conclusion is discussed in the light of current concepts of the second messenger function of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4.     

Kinetics of intracellular calcium release by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and extracellular ATP in porcine cultured aortic endothelial cells.

Quantitative, time-resolved measurements have been made of intracellular Ca ion release by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and extracellular ATP in porcine aortic endothelial cells in tissue culture. Intracellular free [Ca] was detected with the calcium dye fluo-3 and InsP3 released intracellularly by photolysis of 'caged' InsP3 in whole-cell voltage-clamped aortic endothelial cells. A rise of [Ca] was recorded at InsP3 concentrations greater than 0.2 microM. The timecourse at low InsP3 concentrations comprised a delay of mean 300 ms (range 266-330 ms), a peak in 2-3 s before declining with a half-time of 5-10 s. The delay and time-to-peak decreased with increasing concentrations of InsP3 over the range 0.2-5 microM. At very high concentrations of InsP3 (> 5 microM), the delay in the Ca response was short, always less than 20 ms. The results are consistent with a direct binding and gating action of InsP3 on the Ca channel of the cellular store. Following InsP3 action there is a refractoriness of the InsP3 Ca release process which recovers with a timecourse of half-time about 30 s. A comparison can be made between the timecourse of InsP3 and extracellular ATP actions. High concentrations of ATP (500 microM) acted with a delay of mean 1.8 s (range 1.2-2.5 s), whereas even moderate concentrations of InsP3 acted much more quickly, suggesting that there are slow coupling steps before or during the production of InsP3 in response to extracellular ATP. Both ATP and InsP3 evoked an increase in membrane conductance to K+, probably via Ca.     

Regulation of innate immunity by inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate

Many neutrophil functions are mediated by PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 that exerts its role by mediating protein translocation via binding to their PH-domains. Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,3,4,5)P4) binds the same PH domain, competes for its binding to PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, and thus negatively regulates PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 signaling. In neutrophils, chemoattractant stimulation triggers rapid elevation in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 level. Depletion of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 by deleting InsP3KB, the major enzyme producing Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 in neutrophils, augments PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 downstream signals, leading to enhanced sensitivity to chemoattractant stimulation, elevated superoxide production, and enhanced neutrophil recruitment to inflamed peritoneal cavity. InsP3KB gene is also expressed in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. In InsP3KB null mice, the bone marrow granulocyte monocyte progenitor (GMP) population is expanded and the proliferation of GMP cells is accelerated. As results, neutrophil production in the bone marrow is enhanced and peripheral blood neutrophil count is elevated. Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 also plays a role in maintaining neutrophil survival. Depletion of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 leads to accelerated neutrophil spontaneous death. Finally, InsP3KB and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 are essential components in bacterial killing by neutrophils. Despite of the augmented neutrophil recruitment, the clearance of bacteria in the InsP3KB knockout mice is significantly impaired. Collectively, these findings establish InsP3KB and its product Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 as essential modulators of neutrophil function and innate immunity.     

Kinetics of calcium channel opening by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

The subsecond mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ by IP3 was measured with rapid mixing techniques to determine how cells achieve rapid rises in cytosolic [Ca2+] during receptor-triggered calcium spiking. In permeabilized rat basophilic leukemia cells at 11 degrees C, more than 80% of the 0.7 fmol of Ca2+/cell sequestered by the ATP-driven pump could be released by IP3. Half of the stored Ca2+ was released within 200 ms after addition of saturating (1 microM) IP3. The flux rate was half-maximal at 120 nM IP3. Ca2+ release from fully loaded stores was highly cooperative; the Hill coefficient over the 2-40 nM range was greater than 3. The delay time of channel opening was inversely proportional to [IP3], increasing from 150 ms at 100 nM IP3 to 1 s at 15 nM, indicating that the rate-limiting step in channel opening is IP3 binding. Multiple binding steps are required to account for the observed delay and nonexponential character of channel opening. A simple model is proposed in which the binding of four IP3 molecules to identical and independent sites leads to channel opening. The model agrees well with the data for KD = 18 nM, kon = 1.2 X 10(8) M-1 s-1, and koff = 2.2 s-1. The approximately 1-s exchange time of bound IP3 indicates that the channel gating sites are distinct from binding sites having approximately 100-s exchange times that were previously found with radiolabeled IP3. The approximately 1-1s response time of [Ca2+] to a rapid increase in IP3 level can account for observed rise times of calcium spikes.     

Microinjection of inositol 1,2-(cyclic)-4,5-trisphosphate, inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate into intact Xenopus oocytes can induce membrane currents independent of extracellular calcium

Inositol phosphate action in an intact cell has been investigated by intracellular microinjection of eight inositol phosphate derivatives into Xenopus laevis oocytes. These cells have calcium-regulated chloride channels but do not have a calcium-induced calcium release system. Microinjection of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4), inositol 1,2-(cyclic)-4,5-trisphosphate (cIP3), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), or inositol 4,5-bisphosphate [(4,5)IP2], open chloride channels to induce a membrane depolarization. However, inositol 1-phosphate (IP1), inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate (IP5), inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, or inositol 3,4-bisphosphate are unable to induce this depolarization. The depolarization is mimicked by calcium microinjection, inhibited by EGTA coinjection, and is insensitive to removal of extracellular calcium. By means of the depolarization response, the efficacy of various inositol phosphate derivatives are compared. IP3 and cIP3 induce similar half-maximal, biphasic depolarization responses at an intracellular concentration of approximately 90 nM, whereas IP4 induces a mono- or biphasic depolarization at approximately 3400 nM. At concentrations similar to that required for IP3 and cIP3, (4,5)IP2 induces a long-term (greater than 40 min) depolarization. The efficacy (cIP3 = IP3 = (4,5)IP2 much greater than IP4) and action of the various inositol phosphates in an intact cell and their inability to induce meiotic cell division are discussed.     

Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate increases the duration of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-mediated Ca2+ transient

The effect of Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 on the intracellular Ca2+ mobilization produced by Ins 1,4,5-P3 has been examined in permeabilized hepatocytes. Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 did not affect the magnitude of the Ins 1,4,5-P3-mediated Ca2+ release but did inhibit re-accumulation of the released Ca2+ back into intracellular stores. This effect was not mimicked by Ins 1,3,4-P3. In hepatocytes, the re-uptake phase of the response results from Ins 1,4,5-P3 hydrolysis. Measurements using labeled substrates indicate that Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 inhibits the hydrolysis of Ins 1,4,5-P3 and vice versa. Since the removal of the 5-phosphate on Ins 1,4,5-P3 and Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 is a common step in the disposal of both compounds, it is suggested that one of the biological effects of Ins 1,3,4,5-P4 may be to slow hydrolysis of Ins 1,4,5-P3 and thereby prolong the duration of a Ca2+ transient.     

Formation and metabolism of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in liver

The inositol lipid pools of isolated rat hepatocytes were labeled with [3H]myo-inositol, stimulated maximally with vasopressin and the relative contents of [3H]inositol phosphates were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate accumulated rapidly (peak 20 s), while inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate and a novel inositol phosphate (ascribed to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate) accumulated at a slower rate over 2 min. Incubation of hepatocytes with 10 mM Li+ prior to vasopressin addition selectively augmented the levels of inositol monophosphate, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate. A kinase was partially purified from liver and brain cortex which catalyzed an ATP-dependent phosphorylation of [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. Incubation of purified [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate with diluted liver homogenate produced initially inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate and subsequently inositol 1,3-bisphosphate, the formation of which could be inhibited by Li+. The data demonstrate that the most probable pathway for the formation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate is by 3-phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate by a soluble mammalian kinase. Degradation of both compounds occurs first by a Li+-insensitive 5-phosphatase and subsequently by a Li+-sensitive 4-phosphatase. The prolonged accumulation of both inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate in vasopressin-stimulated hepatocytes suggest that they have separate second messenger roles, perhaps both relating to Ca2+-signalling events.     

Rapid formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in rat pancreatic acini stimulated by carbamylcholine

Cholinergic stimulation of inositol phosphate formation was studied in isolated rat pancreatic acini, prelabelled with myo-[2-3H]inositol. Carbamylcholine increased incorporation of radioactivity into Ins(1,4,5)P3 and InsP4 within 5 s. Increases in [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3 were delayed with marked stimulation occurring between 10 s and 1 min. Inositol polyphosphate formation was less sensitive to carbamylcholine concentration than was stimulation of amylase release. At a low (0.3 microM) carbamylcholine concentration, no increase in inositol polyphosphate formation was detected, whereas stimulation of amylase release, which was not dependent on extracellular calcium, was observed. Ins(1,4,5)P3 was shown to release actively accumulated 45Ca2+ from isolated rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes to a similar extent as that released from rough endoplasmic reticulum following cholinergic stimulation of pancreatic acini (Richardson, A.E. et al. (1984) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 12, 1066-1067). The data is consistent with Ins(1,4,5)P3 being produced rapidly enough to release sufficient calcium from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to cause an observed increases in cytoplasmic free Ca2+.     

Calcium regulates inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate production in lysed thymocytes and in intact cells stimulated with concanavalin A.

Lysed mouse thymocytes release [3H]inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate from [3H]inositol-labelled phosphatidyl inositol 4,5-bisphosphate in response to GTP gamma S, and rapidly phosphorylate [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. The rate of phosphorylation is increased approximately 7-fold when the free [Ca2+] in the lysate is increased from 0.1 to 1 microM, the range in which the cytosolic free [Ca2+] increases in intact thymocytes in response to the mitogen concanavalin A. Stimulation of the intact cells with concanavalin A also results in a rapid and sustained increase in the amount of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate, and a much smaller transient increase in 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Lowering [Ca2+] in the medium from 0.4 mM to 0.1 microM before addition of concanavalin A reduces accumulation of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate by at least 3-fold whereas the increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is sustained rather than transient. The data imply that in normal medium the activity of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate kinase increases substantially in response to the rise in cytosolic free [Ca2+] generated by concanavalin A, accounting for both the transient accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and the sustained high levels of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. Inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate is a strong candidate for the second messenger for Ca2+ entry across the plasma membrane. This would imply that the inositol polyphosphates regulate both Ca2+ entry and intracellular Ca2+ release, with feedback control of the inositol polyphosphate levels by Ca2+.