History
1850
Inositol chemistry has some of ist roots back in the middle of the 19th century. In 1850, Scherer discovered and isolated an unknow cyclo- hexane hexol from heart muscle tissue. According to the greek word for muscle he called the compound "Inosit" (engl. Inositol).
Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1850, 73, 322-3281872
About 20 years later Pfeffer isolated the first inositol phosphate from seeds: myo-inositol hexakis-phosphate (InsP6), which is called phytic acid.
Pringsheim Jb. Wis. Bot. 1872, 8, 429;4751938
In 1938 Carson and Anderson showed that lower phosphoric esters of myo-inositol were con-stituents of phospholipids which were constantly degraded and resynthesized.
J. Biol. Chem. 1938, 126, 5271953
In 1953 Hokin and Hokin found that the neurotransmitter acety-lcholin stimulated the meta-bolism of inositol phospholipids in pancres cells.
J. Biol. Chem. 1953, 203, 967-9771975
Michell postulated in 1975 that the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl-myo-inositol-4,5-bisphosphate was somehow connec-ted to calcium signalling phenomena.
Biochim. Biophys. Act. 1975, 415, 81-1471983
Michell's proposal was finally validated when Streb et al. showed that myo-Inosit-1,4,5-trisphosphate, the hydrolytic product from PtdIns(4,5)P2 mobilized calcium from internal stores and was therefore defined as a second messenger.
Nature 1983, 306, 67-691988
In 1988 Traynor-Kaplan and co-workers found PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, the first 3-OH-phosphorylated phosphatidyl inositol.
Nature 1988, 334, 353-3561993
Discovery of the higher Inositol phosphates by Menniti.
Trends. Biochem. Sci. 1993, 18, 53-561994
Vajanaphanich et al. investigated chloride secretion of epithelial cells. The results suggested that myo-inositol-3,4,5,6-tetrakis-phosphate [Ins(3,4,5,6)P4] is a negative regulator of ion transport and can hence be considered a shutt-off second messenger. For the first time, experiments were performed with a membrane-permeant derivative of an inositol phosphate [Bt2-Ins(3,4,5,6)P4/AM].
Nature 1994, 371, 711-7141999
Investigations with the membrane-permeant phospholipid derivatives DiC8-Bt-PtdIns(3,4,5)P3/AM and DiC16-Bt-PtdIns(3,4,5)P3/AM as well as similar 3,4- and 3,4-bisphosphate derivatives showed that PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 also participated in the regulation of epithelial chloride secretion.
Advances in Phospoinositides–Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biomedical Applications ACS Sym. Series 718, Am. Chem. Soc., Washing., DC, edited by: Bruzik, 1999, 232-243