Differential effects of W mutations on p145c-kit tyrosine kinase activity and substrate interaction.

The c-kit gene, mapped to the dominant white spotting (W) locus of the mouse (Chabot, B., Stephenson, D. A., Chapman, V. M., Besmer, P., and Bernstein, A. (1988) Nature 335, 88-89; Geissler, E. N., Ryan, M. A., and Housman, D. E. (1988) Cell 55, 185-192), encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase, p145c-kit. Germline mutations at the W locus lead to loss of function alterations in p145c-kit, and result in mice with developmental defects of varying severity in the melanocytic, hematopoietic stem cell, and primordial germ cell lineages. To investigate in more detail the effect of W mutations on p145c-kit signaling, three mutations, W42, Wv, and W41, that confer severe, intermediate, and mild phenotypic characteristics, respectively, were introduced into the human p145c-kit tyrosine kinase domain. These mutations attenuated the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor to different degrees. In addition, they had differential effects on the interaction of the p145c-kit substrates, phospholipase C gamma, GTPase-activating protein, and the receptor-binding subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, p85. Notably, the Wv mutation, while retaining significant receptor tyrosine kinase activity, was unable to bind phospholipase C gamma and GTPase-activating protein, but could still associate with p85. These results suggest that the location of W mutations may be an important determinant of the specificity of substrate association and phosphorylation, and may explain, at least in part, the cell type-specific defects associated with certain W alleles.     

Signal transduction by normal isoforms and W mutant variants of the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase.

Germline mutations at the Dominant White Spotting (W) and Steel (Sl) loci have provided conclusive genetic evidence that c-kit mediated signal transduction pathways are essential for normal mouse development. We have analysed the interactions of normal and mutant W/c-kit gene products with cytoplasmic signalling proteins, using transient c-kit expression assays in COS cells. In addition to the previously identified c-kit gene product (Kit+), a second normal Kit isoform (KitA+) containing an in-frame insertion, Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys, within the extracellular domain, was detected in murine mast cell cultures and mid-gestation placenta. Both Kit+ and KitA+ isoforms showed increased autophosphorylation and enhanced association with phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3' kinase and PLC gamma 1, when stimulated with recombinant soluble Steel factor. No association or increase in phosphorylation of GAP and two GAP-associated proteins, p62 and p190, was observed. The two isoforms had distinct activities in the absence of exogenous soluble Steel factor; Kit+, but not KitA+, showed constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation that was accompanied by a low constitutive level of association with PI-3' kinase and PLC gamma 1. Introduction of the point substitutions associated with W37 (Glu582----Lys) or W41 (Val831----Met) mutant alleles into c-kit expression constructs abolished (W37) or reduced (W41) the Steel factor-induced association of the Kit receptor with signalling proteins in a manner proportional to the overall severity of the corresponding W mutant phenotype. These data suggest a diversity of normal Kit signalling pathways and indicate that W mutant phenotypes result from primary defects in the Kit receptor that affect its interaction with cytoplasmic signalling proteins.     

Interferon-dependent activation of the serine kinase PI 3'-kinase requires engagement of the IRS pathway but not the Stat pathway

Several signaling pathways are activated by interferon alpha (IFNalpha) in hematopoietic cells, including the Jak-Stat and the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) pathways. It has been previously shown that IFNalpha activates the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase via an interaction of the p85 subunit of PI 3'-kinase with IRS proteins. Other studies have proposed that Stat-3 also functions as an adapter for p85. We sought to identify the major pathway that regulates IFNalpha activation of the PI3'-kinase in hematopoietic cells. Our data demonstrate that IFNalpha induces the interaction of p85 with IRS-1 or IRS-2, but not Stat-3, in various hematopoietic cell lines in which IRS-1 and/or IRS-2 and Stat-3 are activated by IFNalpha. In addition, inhibition of PI 3'-kinase activity by preincubation of cells with the PI 3'-kinase inhibitor LY294002 does not affect IFN-dependent formation of SIF complexes that contain Stat-3. To determine whether phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in the IFN receptor is required for activation of the PI 3'-kinase, we performed studies using mouse L929 fibroblasts transfected with mutated human IFNAR1 and/or IFNAR2 subunits of the Type I IFN receptor, lacking tyrosine phosphorylation sites. The serine kinase activity of the PI-3K was activated by human IFNalpha in these cells, suggesting that phosphorylation of the Type I IFN receptor is not essential for PI3K activation. We then determined whether IFNalpha activates the Akt kinase, a known downstream target for PI 3'-kinase that mediates anti-apoptotic signals. Akt was activated by insulin or IGF-1, but not IFNalpha, in the IFNalpha-sensitive U-266 myeloma cell line. Altogether, our data establish that the IRS pathway and not the Stat pathway, is the major pathway regulating engagement of PI 3'-kinase in hematopoietic cells. Furthermore, the selective activation of Akt by insulin/IGF-1 suggests the existence of distinct regulatory activities of PI3'-kinase in growth factor versus interferon signaling.     

Tyr721 regulates specific binding of the CSF-1 receptor kinase insert to PI 3''-kinase SH2 domains: a model for SH2-mediated receptor-target interactions.

Efficient binding of active phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase to the autophosphorylated macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor (CSF-1R) requires the noncatalytic kinase insert (KI) region of the receptor. To test whether this region could function independently to bind PI 3'-kinase, the isolated CSF-1R KI was expressed in Escherichia coli, and was inducibly phosphorylated on tyrosine. The tyrosine phosphorylated form of the CSF-1R KI bound PI 3'-kinase in vitro, whereas the unphosphorylated form had no binding activity. The p85 alpha subunit of PI 3'-kinase contains two Src homology (SH)2 domains, which are implicated in the interactions of signalling proteins with activated receptors. Bacterially expressed p85 alpha SH2 domains complexed in vitro with the tyrosine phosphorylated CSF-1R KI. Binding of the CSF-1R KI to PI 3'-kinase activity, and to the p85 alpha SH2 domains, required phosphorylation of Tyr721 within the KI domain, but was independent of phosphorylation at Tyr697 and Tyr706. Tyr721 was also critical for the association of activated CSF-1R with PI 3'-kinase in mammalian cells. Complex formation between the CSF-1R and PI 3'-kinase can therefore be reconstructed in vitro in a specific interaction involving the phosphorylated receptor KI and the SH2 domains of p85 alpha.     

The myotubularin family: novel phosphoinositide regulators

Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PtdIns(3)P] acts as a second messenger via the recruitment of diverse signalling proteins to various cellular compartments. Recent advances have highlighted the association of human diseases with mutations in phosphatases that regulate PtdIns(3)P levels. Myotubularin, the gene mutated in myotubular myopathy, functions as a lipid phosphatase with specificity for PtdIns(3)P. It is now apparent that there is an increasing family of proteins that are defined by their significant homology with myotubularin. The myotubularin-related gene family includes proteins that exhibit a lipid phosphatase catalytic motif, those that contain mutations of the critical catalytic residues, and at least one protein that functions as an adapter subunit for PtdIns(3)P-3-phosphatase activity. The present challenge is to understand how deregulation of phosphoinositide metabolism causes human disease.     

Phosphatidylinositol 3''-kinase is activated by association with IRS-1 during insulin stimulation.

IRS-1 undergoes rapid tyrosine phosphorylation during insulin stimulation and forms a stable complex containing the 85 kDa subunit (p85) of the phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3'-kinase, but p85 is not tyrosyl phosphorylated. IRS-1 contains nine tyrosine phosphorylation sites in YXXM (Tyr-Xxx-Xxx-Met) motifs. Formation of the IRS-1-PtdIns 3'-kinase complex in vitro is inhibited by synthetic peptides containing phosphorylated YXXM motifs, suggesting that the binding of PtdIns 3'-kinase to IRS-1 is mediated through the SH2 (src homology-2) domains of p85. Furthermore, overexpression of IRS-1 potentiates the activation of PtdIns 3-kinase in insulin-stimulated cells, and tyrosyl phosphorylated IRS-1 or peptides containing phosphorylated YXXM motifs activate PtdIns 3'-kinase in vitro. We conclude that the binding of tyrosyl phosphorylated IRS-1 to the SH2 domains of p85 is the critical step that activates PtdIns 3'-kinase during insulin stimulation.     

The Steel/W transduction pathway: kit autophosphorylation and its association with a unique subset of cytoplasmic signaling proteins is induced by the Steel factor.

The W/c-kit and Steel loci respectively encode a receptor tyrosine kinase (Kit) and its extracellular ligand, Steel factor, which are essential for the development of hematopoietic, melanocyte, and germ cell lineages in the mouse. To determine the biochemical basis of the Steel/W developmental pathway, we have investigated the response of the Kit tyrosine kinase and several potential cytoplasmic targets to stimulation with Steel in mast cells derived from normal and mutant W mice. In normal mast cells, Steel induces Kit to autophosphorylate on tyrosine and bind to phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K) and phospholipase C-gamma 1 but not detectably to Ras GTPase-activating protein. Additionally, we present evidence that Kit tyrosine phosphorylation acts as a switch to promote complex formation with PI3K. In mast cells from mice homozygous for the W42 mutant allele, Kit is not tyrosine phosphorylated and fails to bind PI3K following Steel stimulation. In contrast, in the transformed mast cell line P815, Kit is constitutively phosphorylated and binds to PI3K in the absence of ligand. These results suggest that Kit autophosphorylation and its physical association with a unique subset of cytoplasmic signaling proteins are critical for mammalian development.     

Requirement of c-kit for development of intestinal pacemaker system.

A discovery that the protooncogene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase, c-kit, is allelic with the Dominant white spotting (W) locus establishes that c-kit plays a functional role in the development of three cell lineages, melanocyte, germ cell, and hematopoietic cell which are defective in W mutant mice. Recent analyses of c-kit expression in various tissues of mouse, however, have demonstrated that c-kit is expressed in more diverse tissues which are phenotypically normal in W mutant mice. Thus, whether or not c-kit expressed outside the three known cell lineages plays a functional role is one of the important questions needing answering in order to fully elucidate the role of c-kit in the development of the mouse. Here, we report that some of the cells in smooth muscle layers of developing intestine express c-kit. Blockade of its function for a few days postnatally by an antagonistic anti-c-kit monoclonal antibody (mAb) results in a severe anomaly of gut movement, which in BALB/c mice produces a lethal paralytic ileus. Physiological analysis indicates that the mechanisms required for the autonomic pacing of contraction in an isolated gut segment are defective in the anti-c-kit mAb-treated mice, W/Wv mice and even W/+ mice. These findings suggest that c-kit plays a crucial role in the development of a component of the pacemaker system that is required for the generation of autonomic gut motility.     

BCR-ABL binds to IRS-1 and IRS-1 phosphorylation is inhibited by imatinib in K562 cells

In the present study we used K562 cells to demonstrate that insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) is expressed and constitutively phosphorylated in BCR-ABL(+) cells. We observed association between BCR-ABL/IRS-1, IRS-1/phosphoinositide 3'-kinase (PI3-kinase), and IRS-1/Grb2 in the K562 cell line. Our findings demonstrate that imatinib treatment resulted in marked attenuation of BCR-ABL/IRS-1 association and of IRS-1-stimulated PI3-kinase activity in K562 cells. We concluded that the IRS-1 protein is involved in the signalling pathway of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase.     

The role of PI3Ks in the regulation of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase

The NADPH oxidase complex of neutrophils and macrophages is an important weapon used by these cells to kill microbial pathogens. The regulation of this enzyme complex is necessarily complicated by the diverse receptor types that are needed to trigger its activation and also the tight control that is required to deliver this activation at the appropriate time and place. As such, several signalling pathways have been established to regulate the NADPH oxidase downstream of cell surface receptors. Central amongst these are PI3K- (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-dependent pathways, blockade of which severely limits activation of the oxidase to several soluble and particulate stimuli. The precise roles of the phosphoinositide products of PI3K activity in regulating NADPH oxidase assembly and activation are still unclear, but there is emerging evidence that they play a key role via regulation of guanine nucleotide exchange on Rac, a key component in the oxidase complex. There is also very strong evidence that the PI3K products PtdIns(3,4)P2 and PtdIns3P can bind directly to the PX (Phox homology) domains of the core oxidase components p47phox and p40phox respectively. However, the significance of these interactions in terms of membrane localization or allosteric consequences for the oxidase complex remains to be established.     

Phosphorylation-dependent binding of 14-3-3 terminates signalling by the Gab2 docking protein

Grb2-associated binder (Gab)2 functions downstream of a variety of receptor and cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases as a docking platform for specific signal transducers and performs important functions in both normal physiology and oncogenesis. Gab2 signalling is promoted by its association with specific receptors through the adaptor Grb2. However, the molecular mechanisms that attenuate Gab2 signals have remained unclear. We now demonstrate that growth factor-induced phosphorylation of Gab2 on two residues, S210 and T391, leads to recruitment of 14-3-3 proteins. Together, these events mediate negative-feedback regulation, as Gab2^S210A/T391A exhibits sustained receptor association and signalling and promotes cell proliferation and transformation. Importantly, introduction of constitutive 14-3-3-binding sites into Gab2 renders it refractory to receptor activation, demonstrating that site-selective binding of 14-3-3 proteins is sufficient to terminate Gab2 signalling. Furthermore, this is associated with reduced binding of Grb2. This leads to a model where signal attenuation occurs because 14-3-3 promotes dissociation of Gab2 from Grb2, and thereby uncouples Gab2 from the receptor complex. This represents a novel regulatory mechanism with implications for diverse tyrosine kinase signalling systems.     

Regulation of phosphoinositide signaling by the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases

Phosphoinositide signaling molecules control cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation, intracellular vesicle trafficking, and cytoskeletal rearrangement. The inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase family remove the D-5 position phosphate from PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtdIns(3,5)P2 forming PtdIns(3,4)P2, PtdIns(4)P and PtdIns(3)P respectively. This enzyme family, comprising ten mammalian members, exhibit seemingly non-redundant functions including the regulation of synaptic vesicle recycling, hematopoietic cell function and insulin signaling. Here we highlight recently established insights into the functions of two well characterized 5-phosphatases OCRL and SHIP2, which have been the subject of extensive functional studies, and the characterization of recently identified members, SKIP and PIPP, in order to highlight the diverse and complex functions of this enzyme family.     

Molecular cloning of murine STAP-1, the stem-cell-specific adaptor protein containing PH and SH2 domains

To identify the novel substrate of c-kit which is important for hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal or differentiation, CD34-low/negative, Sca-1-positive, c-kit-positive, and lineage marker-negative (CD34(low/-)Sca-1(+)c-kit(+)Lin(-)) cells were sorted by a fluorescence-activated cell sorter from mouse bone marrow cells and a yeast two-hybrid cDNA library was constructed. By screening with c-kit as bait, we cloned a novel cDNA, designed STAP-1, encoding an adaptor protein with a Pleckstrin homology domain, the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, and a number of tyrosine phosphorylation sites. RT-PCR analysis revealed that STAP-1 expression is restricted in the bone marrow cell fraction expressing c-kit. The highest expression was observed in the CD34(low/-)Sca-1(+)c-kit(+)Lin(-) stem cell-enriched fraction. The murine myeloid cell line, M1, expressed a high level of STAP-1. However, the expression was strongly repressed in response to leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) which induced monocytic differentiation of M1 cells, suggesting that STAP-1 is associated with the undifferentiated cell type. A two-hybrid assay indicated that STAP-1 bound not only to c-kit but also to c-fms but not to JAK2 or Pyk2. In 293 cells, STAP-1 was tyrosine-phosphorylated by activated c-kit. An in vitro binding assay suggested that the STAP-1 SH2 domain interacted with several tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins including c-kit and STAT5. These suggest that STAP-1 functions as an adaptor molecule downstream of c-kit in hematopoietic stem cells.     

Targeting phospshatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling with novel phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate antagonists

The critical role of phopshatidylinositol-3-kinase (PtdIns3K) signaling in the regulation of a wide range of cellular functions, including cell survival and proliferation, autophagy, metabolism and cell migration, is well recognized. Activation of PtdIns3K leads to the generation of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3). PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 activates a complex signaling network controlling these diverse cellular functions through binding to Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domains of the effector proteins. We have recently described a new structural class of nonphosphoinositide small molecule inhibitors targeting binding of PtdIns(3,4,5) P 3 to PH domain targets. Using an in vitro PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3-PH domain binding assay, we identified two distinct PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 antagonists, PIT-1 and PIT-2. Further cellular analysis revealed that both PITs inhibit PtdIns(3,4,5) P 3-dependent signaling mediated by Akt kinase, leading to the induction of apoptosis, metabolic stress and autophagy. An improved PIT-1 analog, DM-PIT-1, displays significant anticancer activity in the mouse syngeneic 4T1 breast cancer model in vivo. Discovery of PITs as well as other PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 antagonists recently described by other laboratories suggest the possibility of targeting a key universal PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3/PH domain binding step in the PtdIns3K pathway using heterologous small molecule modulators.     

Mitogenic signalling and substrate specificity of the Flk2/Flt3 receptor tyrosine kinase in fibroblasts and interleukin 3-dependent hematopoietic cells.

Flk2/Flt3 is a recently identified receptor tyrosine kinase expressed in brain, placenta, testis, and primitive hematopoietic cells. The mitogenic signalling potential and biochemical properties of Flk2/Flt3 have been analyzed by using a chimeric receptor composed of the extracellular domain of the human colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of murine Flk2/Flt3. We demonstrate that colony-stimulating factor 1 stimulation of the Flk2/Flt3 kinase in transfected NIH 3T3 fibroblasts leads to a transformed phenotype and generates a full proliferative response in the absence of other growth factors. In transfected interleukin 3 (IL-3)-dependent Ba/F3 lymphoid cells, activation of the chimeric receptor can abrogate IL-3 requirement and sustain long-term proliferation. We show that phospholipase C-gamma 1, Ras GTPase-activating protein, the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, Shc, Grb2, Vav, Fyn, and Src are components of the Flk2/Flt3 signal transduction pathway. In addition, we demonstrate that phospholipase C-gamma 1, the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase, Shc, Grb2, and Src family tyrosine kinases, but not Ras GTPase-activating protein, Vav, or Nck, physically associate with the Flk2/Flt3 cytoplasmic domain. Cell-type-specific differences in tyrosine phosphorylation of p85 and Shc are observed. A comparative analysis of the Flk2/Flt3 signal cascade with those of the endogenous platelet-derived growth factor and IL-3 receptors indicates that Flk2/Flt3 displays specific substrate preferences. Furthermore, tyrosine phosphorylation of p85 and Shc is similarly affected by totally different growth factors in the same cellular background.     

Supervised membrane swimming: small G-protein lifeguards regulate PIPK signalling and monitor intracellular PtdIns(4,5)P2 pools

Regulation of PIPK (phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase) and PtdIns(4,5)P2 signalling by small G-proteins and their effectors is key to many biological functions. Through selective recruitment and activation of different PIPK isoforms, small G-proteins such as Rho, Rac and Cdc42 modulate actin dynamics and cytoskeleton-dependent cellular events in response to extracellular signalling. These activities affect a number of processes, including endocytosis, bacterial penetration into host cells and cytolytic granule-mediated targeted cell killing. Small G-proteins and their modulators are also regulated by phosphoinositides through translocation and conformational changes. Arf family small G-proteins act at multiple sites as regulators of membrane trafficking and actin cytoskeletal remodelling, and regulate a feedback loop comprising phospholipase D, phosphatidic acid, PIPKs and PtdIns(4,5)P2, contributing to enhancement of PtdIns(4,5)P2-mediated cellular events and receptor signalling. Na+, Kir (inwardly rectifying K+), Ca2+ and TRP (transient receptor potential) ion channels are regulated by small G-proteins and membrane pools of PtdIns(4,5)P2. Yeast phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinases Mss4 and Its3 are involved in resistance against disturbance of sphingolipid biosynthesis and maintenance of cell integrity through the synthesis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and downstream signalling through the Rom2/Rho2 and Rgf1/Rho pathways. Here, we review models for regulated intracellular targeting of PIPKs by small G-proteins and other modulators in response to extracellular signalling. We also describe the spatial and temporal cross-regulation of PIPKs and small G-proteins that is critical for a number of cellular functions.     

A recombinant ectodomain of the receptor for the stem cell factor (SCF) retains ligand-induced receptor dimerization and antagonizes SCF-stimulated cellular responses.

The stem cell factor (SCF) is a polypeptide ligand that is essential for the development of germ cells, hematopoietic progenitor cells, and melanocyte precursors. It binds to a tyrosine kinase membrane receptor that is encoded by the c-kit proto-oncogene. We have constructed an expression vector that directs the synthesis of the entire extracellular ligand-binding domain of the Kit/SCF receptor. When expressed and amplified in Chinese hamster ovary cells, a secreted 90-kDa glycoprotein could be harvested from the growth medium of the cells in a soluble form. This extracellular portion of the Kit/SCF receptor, denoted Kit-X, was recognized by antibodies specific to the SCF receptor; and when injected into animals, it raised antibodies that were reactive with the complete membrane form of the receptor. Direct binding and covalent cross-linking of radiolabeled SCF showed that Kit-X fully retained high affinity ligand binding and also underwent efficient dimerization in the presence of the ligand. The capacity of Kit-X to act as an antagonist of SCF was assayed on cultured cells that overexpress the receptor. Simultaneous addition of SCF and Kit-X to these cells resulted in a stoichiometric inhibition of SCF binding and a consequent decrease in autophosphorylation of the SCF receptor on tyrosine residues. The inhibition extended to later SCF-mediated responses, including the association of the receptor with phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase and coupling to the Raf1 protein kinase. These results indicate that the recombinant ectodomain of the Kit-SCF receptor can be used as a specific antagonist of SCF actions and may enable detailed molecular analysis of ligand-receptor interactions.     

Evolution of the diverse biological roles of inositols

Several of the nine hexahydroxycylohexanes (inositols) have functions in Biology, with myo-inositol (Ins) in most of the starring roles; and Ins polyphosphates are amongst the most abundant organic phosphate constituents on Earth. Many Archaea make Ins and use it as a component of diphytanyl membrane phospholipids and the thermoprotective solute di-L-Ins-1,1'-phosphate. Few bacteria make Ins or use it, other than as a carbon source. Those that do include hyperthermophilic Thermotogales (which also employ di-L-Ins-1,1'-phosphate) and actinomycetes such as Mycobacterium spp. (which use mycothiol, an inositol-containing thiol, as an intracellular redox reagent and have characteristic phosphatidylinositol-linked surface oligosaccharides). Bacteria acquired their Ins3P synthases by lateral gene transfer from Archaea. Many eukaryotes, including stressed plants, insects, deep-sea animals and kidney tubule cells, adapt to environmental variation by making or accumulating diverse inositol derivatives as 'compatible' solutes. Eukaryotes use phosphatidylinositol derivatives for numerous roles in cell signalling and regulation and in protein anchoring at the cell surface. Remarkably, the diradylglycerol cores of archaeal and eukaryote/bacterial glycerophospholipids have mirror image configurations: sn-2,3 and sn-1,2 respectively. Multicellular animals and amoebozoans exhibit the greatest variety of functions for PtdIns derivatives, including the use of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 as a signal. Evolutionarily, it seems likely that (i) early archaeons first made myo-inositol approx. 3500 Ma (million years) ago; (ii) archeons brought inositol derivatives into early eukaryotes (approx. 2000 Ma?); (iii) soon thereafter, eukaryotes established ubiquitous functions for phosphoinositides in membrane trafficking and Ins polyphosphate synthesis; and (iv) since approx. 1000 Ma, further waves of functional diversification in amoebozoans and metazoans have introduced Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor Ca2+ channels and the messenger role of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3.