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Dictyostelium uses ether‐linked inositol phospholipids for intracellular signalling
Author(s) -
Clark Jonathan,
Kay Robert R,
Kielkowska Anna,
Niewczas Izabella,
Fets Louise,
Oxley David,
Stephens Len R,
Hawkins Phillip T
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.15252/embj.201488677
Subject(s) - biology , dictyostelium , inositol , intracellular , signalling , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , receptor , gene
Inositol phospholipids are critical regulators of membrane biology throughout eukaryotes. The general principle by which they perform these roles is conserved across species and involves binding of differentially phosphorylated inositol head groups to specific protein domains. This interaction serves to both recruit and regulate the activity of several different classes of protein which act on membrane surfaces. In mammalian cells, these phosphorylated inositol head groups are predominantly borne by a C38:4 diacylglycerol backbone. We show here that the inositol phospholipids of D ictyostelium are different, being highly enriched in an unusual C34:1e lipid backbone, 1‐hexadecyl‐2‐(11Z‐octadecenoyl)‐ sn ‐glycero‐3‐phospho‐(1'‐myo‐inositol), in which the sn ‐1 position contains an ether‐linked C16:0 chain; they are thus plasmanylinositols. These plasmanylinositols respond acutely to stimulation of cells with chemoattractants, and their levels are regulated by PIPK s, PI 3Ks and PTEN . In mammals and now in D ictyostelium , the hydrocarbon chains of inositol phospholipids are a highly selected subset of those available to other phospholipids, suggesting that different molecular selectors are at play in these organisms but serve a common, evolutionarily conserved purpose.