Isolation and assay of red-cell inositol polyphosphates

An inositol pentaphosphate has been found to be present in high concentration in red cells of a number of species of birds examined and is thought to be a major control of the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. to facilitate further studies on the distribution, function, and metabolism of inositol polyphosphates in red cells of birds and other vertebrates, improved methods were developed for their isolation by ion-exchange column chromatography, for their hydrolysis to free inositol from the isolated phosphates, and for colorimetric analysis of the free inositol. Examples are given of the inositol phosphates found in red cells of a duck, an ostrich, the Pseudemys turtle, a fish (Arapaima gigas), commercial inositol hexaphosphate, corn seeds, and corn seedlings.