Title:IP6 (Inositol Hexaphosphate) as a Signaling Molecule
VOLUME: 7 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Abul Kalam Shamsuddin and Sanchita Bose
Affiliation:Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 10 S Pine Street, MSTF 7-00, Baltimore, MD 21201-1116, USA.
Keywords:IP6, inositol, phytate, polyphosphates, signal transduction, nutraceuticals, actinobacteria, myo-isoform, pentakisphosphate, Myxobacteria
Abstract:Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6, InsP6) is a polyphosphorylated carbohydrate with diverse signaling properties. IP6
is plentiful in organisms as diverse as yeast, actinobacteria, mammals and plants. In the plant kingdom, IP6 accumulates
during seed development; during germination it is broken down into lower inositol phosphates and micronutrients to
maintain seedling. IP6 is the most abundant of the intracellular inositol phosphates in eukaryotes. In mammals IP6
maintains homeostasis, stores phosphate and acts as a strong anti-oxidant and neurotransmitter. IP6’s rapid phosphate
turnover properties justify its critical role in cellular pathways involved in signal transduction, control of cell proliferation
and differentiation, RNA export, DNA repair, energy transduction and ATP regeneration. The health benefits of IP6 have
been demonstrated to lower serum cholesterol level, normalize pathological platelet activity and prevent pathological
calcification and kidney stone formation. It is also a potent antioxidant and immunity enhancer. However, it is the field of
cancer prevention and therapy that may be the biggest career for IP6. In this review we present updated knowledge on
signaling events caused by this fascinating, ubiquitous molecule that has numerous functions.
