Inositol phosphate metabolomics: merging genetic perturbation with modernized radiolabeling methods

Recent discoveries that provide a link between inositol phosphate (IP) signaling and fundamental cellular processes evoke many exciting new hypotheses about IP function, and underscore the importance of understanding how IP synthesis is regulated. Central to studies of IP metabolism is the essential development of efficient, fast, and reproducible methods for quantitative analysis of IPs in systems ranging from simple cell cultures to more complex tissues and whole organisms. Additionally, in many cases there is a need to pharmacologically and/or genetically alter IP kinase and phosphatase activities in order to visualize low abundance inositol signaling messengers. Here, we describe updated methods for rapid analysis of IP metabolism in normal and genetically manipulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, Mus musculus, and Homo sapiens.