Cell signalling and phospholipid metabolism
Our research for the past two years has involved the study of phosphoinositides and their potential role in regulating plant growth and development. Our initial goal was to document the sequence of events involved in inositol phospholipid metabolism in response to external stimuli. Our working hypothesis was that phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP/sub 2/) was in the plasma membrane of plants cells and would be hydrolyzed by phospholipase C to yield the second messengers inositol triphosphate (IP/sub 3/) and diacyglycerol (DAG) and that IP/sub 3/ would mobilize intracellular calcium as has been shown for animal cells. Our results with both carrot suspension culture cells and sunflower hypocotyl indicate that this paradigm is not the primary mechanism of signal transduction in these systems. We have observed very rapid, within 5 sec, stimulation of phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) kinase which resulted in an increase in PIP/sub 2/. However, there was no evidence for activation of phospholipase C. In addition, we have shown that PIP and PIP/sub 2/ can activate the plasma membrane ATPase. The results of these studies are described briefly in the paragraphs below. Inositol phospholipids are localized in distinct membrane fractions. If PIP and PIP/sub 2/ play a role in the transduction of external signals, they should be present in the plasma membrane. We used the fusogenic carrot suspension culture cells as a model system to study the distribution of inositol phospholipids in various membrane fractions and organelles. Cells were labeled 12 to 18 h with myo(2-/sup 3/H) inositol and the membranes were isolated by aqueous two-phase partitioning. The plasma membrane was enriched in PIP and PIP/sub 2/ compared to the intracellular membranes.
- Research Organization:
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (USA). Dept. of Botany
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG05-87ER13693
- OSTI ID:
- 5943691
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/13693-3; ON: DE89015093
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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