title: Cell signalling by inositol phosphoglycans from different species.
abstract: The discovery of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) molecules and their products has given new insight into the field of signal transduction. In the last decade a novel mechanism of protein attachment to membranes has emerged, which involves a covalent linkage of the protein to the glycan moiety of a GPI. The discovery that GPI-anchored proteins are ubiquitous throughout the eukaryotes was followed by the observation that uncomplexed GPI molecules are implicated in signal transduction for a diversity of hormones and growth factors. The hydrolysis of free-GPI generates a novel second messenger: the inositol phosphoglycan (IPG). The aim of this article is to review the role of IPG and IPG-like molecules in signal transduction and to discuss future research directions.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. ivarela@biomed.iib.uam.es
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Varela-Nieto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Caro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D006133:Growth Substances; D006728:Hormones; D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D007328:Insulin; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C028039:inositol phosphate glycan; D010740:Phospholipases