Chemistry of Inositol Lipid Mediated Cellular Signaling

A renaissance in inositol phosphate chemistry was initiated twelve years ago by the discovery of the role of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1) as a second messenger. Since then, numerous methods for the synthesis of regiospecifically protected inositols and optically active inositol phosphate regioisomers and their analogues have been established with the intent of elucidating biological roles for the some of the vast array of naturally occurring inositol phosphates. The first pharmacological and biochemical agents are already available for intervention in cellular signaling pathways mediated by the hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositide lipids.