Structure inositol phospholipids

L. E. Bertello, M. F. Goncalvez, W. Colli, and R. M. de Lederkremer, Structural analysis of inositol phospholipids from Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms, Biochem. J., 310 (1995) 255—261. 

A major fate of PA is conversion to DG that can be metabolized to PC, PE, and TG (Fig. 1). Alternatively, PA can react with CTP to form CDP-DG that is utilized for biosynthesis of the inositol phospholipids as well as phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) (Fig. 1). Inositol is a cyclohexane derivative in which all six carbons contain hydroxyl groups. The most common inositol isoform is myo-inositol but other less abundant inositols with different structures also occur. The first report of an inositol-containing lipid was in 1930 in Mycobacteria which is ironic since inositol lipids are rarely found in bacteria. Brain is the richest source of inositol-containing lipids, as first discovered by Folch and Wooley in 1942. In 1949, Folch described a PI phosphate (PI-P) that was later found to include PI and PI bisphosphate (PI-P2). The chemical structures of PI, PI-P, and PI-P2 were determined by Ballou and co-workers between 1959 and 1961. PI (1.7 pmol/g liver) constitutes -10% of the phospholipids in cells and tissues. PI-P and PI-P2 are present at much lower concentrations (1-3% of PI). In 1958, Agranoff and co-workers first reported the incorporation of [ HJinositol into PI. Subsequently, Paulus and Kennedy showed that CTP was the preferred nucleotide donor. 

Ballou, C. E., E. Vileas, and E. Lederer Structural studies on the myo-inositol phospholipids of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (var. bovis, strain BCG). J. biol. Chem. 238, 69—76 (1963). 

Figure 5.1 The structure of a glycerophospholipid. A simple diagram showing the charges on the head group. In this struction, palmitic and oleic acids, provide the hydrophobic component of the phospholipids and choline (and four bases) and the phosphate group provide the hydrophilic head. The unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, provides a kink in the structure and therefore some flexibility in the membrane structure which allows for fluidity. The more unsaturated the fatty acid, the larger is the kink and hence more fluidity in the membrane. Cholesterol molecules can fill the gaps left by the kink and hence reduce flexibility. Hydroxyl groups on the bases marked are those that form phosphoester links. Choline and inositol may sometimes be deficient in the diet so that they are, possibly, essential micronutrients (Chapter 15).

Phospholipids containing phosphatidyl, inositol, lecithin, serine, and ethanolamine (Stevenson 1986) are the second most abundant identifiable form of organic P in the upper layer of the subsurface. These groups contain glycerol, fatty acids, and phosphate (Sims and Pierzjinski 2005). The P in the structure is a diester, which is more susceptible to degradation in soils than monoesters. 

PH domains bind phosphatidyl inositol derivatives and, due to this property, are able to mediate membrane association of signal proteins. The PH domain of PL-C61 binds to phospholipids such as Ptd(Ins)P2 with high affinity and specificity. The crystal structure of the PH domain of PL-C81 with bound Ptd(Ins)P2 surprisingly has a very similar folding topology to the PTB domain that specifically binds phosphotyrosine-containing peptides (see 8.2.3 review Lemmon et al, 1996). The importance of this similarity is not understood. 

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