The molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of muscarinic agonists to enhance the metabolism of inositol phospholipids were studied using rat parotid gland slices prelabelled with tracer quantities of [3H]inositol and then washed with 10 mM unlabelled inositol. Carbachol treatment caused rapid and marked increases in the levels of radioactive inositol 1-phosphate, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate,...

BACKGROUND A stereoisomer of inositol, scyllo-inositol, is known as a promising therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease, since it prevents the accumulation of beta-amyloid deposits, a hallmark of the disease. However, this compound is relatively rare in nature, whereas another stereoisomer of inositol, myo-inositol, is abundantly available. RESULTS Bacillus subtilis possesses a unique inosi...

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are globally distributed human fungal pathogens and the leading causes of fungal meningitis. Recent studies reveal that myo-inositol is an important factor for fungal sexual reproduction. That C. neoformans can utilize myo-inositol as a sole carbon source and the existence of abundant inositol in the human central nervous system suggest that inosi...

The biosynthesis of inositol requires only two enzymes, inositol-1-phosphate synthase (encoded by INO1) and an inositol monophosphatase, but the regulation of inositol biosynthesis is under multiple controls and is exquisitely regulated. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutations in any of 26 different genes lead to inositol auxotrophy. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe,...

OBJECTIVES A major hypothesis explaining the therapeutic effect of lithium (Li) in mania is depletion of inositol via inhibition of inositol monophosphatase. However, inositol is also present in the diet. Restriction of dietary inositol could theoretically enhance the effects of Li. METHODS We used dietary inositol restriction in animal studies and also devised a palatable diet for humans tha...

Inositol levels, maintained by the biosynthetic enzyme inositol-3-phosphate synthase (Ino1), are altered in a range of disorders, including bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease. To date, most inositol studies have focused on the molecular and cellular effects of inositol depletion without considering Ino1 levels. Here we employ a simple eukaryote, Dictyostelium discoideum, to demonstrate di...

Over the past few decades, the use of inositol(s) in the clinical practice is attracting ever-growing interest. After successfully launching the special issue of “Inositol(s) from Bench to Bedside in Endocrinology and Gynecology”, we introduce this new special issue on Update on Inositol(s). Inositol is a polyol naturally occurring in fruits, beans, grains, nuts as well as animals. The most com...

1. An inositol monophosphatase was purified to homogeneity from bovine brain. 2. The enzyme is a dimer of subunit Mr 29,000. 3. The enzyme hydrolyses both enantiomers of myo-inositol 1-phosphate and both enantiomers of myo-inositol 4-phosphate, but has no activity towards inositol bisphosphates, inositol trisphosphates or inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate. 4. Several non-inositol-containing mo...

Inositol has 8 stereoisomers, four of which are physiologically active. myo-Inositol is the most abundant isomer in the brain and more recently shown that epi- and scyllo-inositol are also present. myo-Inositol complexes with Abeta42 in vitro to form a small stable micelle. The ability of inositol stereoisomers to interact with and stabilize small Abeta complexes was addressed. Circular dichroi...