Relationship of polyphosphoinositide metabolism to the hormonal activation of the inset salivary gland by 5-hydroxytryptamine.

Incubation of the insect gland with [3H]inositol results in the incorporation of label into both phosphatidylinositol (PI) and the two polyphosphoinositides (PIP and PIP2). Upon stimulation with 5-HT the initial water-soluble metabolites released are inositol trisphosphate and inositol bisphosphate with no change in the level of inositol monophosphate, suggesting that the primary lipid substrate used by the receptor is one of the polyphosphoinositides (most likely PIP2) rather than PI. This conclusion was substantiated by showing that 5-HT was not able to release inositol or inositol monophosphate when the levels of the two polyphosphoinositides were reduced by lowering the level of ATP. The rate of breakdown of the polyphosphoinositides, as measured by the appearance of inositol phosphates, occurred with no apparent lag whereas the onset of the calcium-dependent change in transepithelial potential had a latency of approximately 1 sec. It is concluded that the primary action of 5-HT is to stimulate the hydrolysis of PIP2 into diacylglycerol and inositol trisphosphate. The latter may function as a second messenger to mobilize the calcium responsible for initiating some of the ionic events responsible for fluid secretion.