Inhibition by Ca2+ of the incorporation of myo-inositol into phosphatidylinositol.

The incorporation of myo-[2-3H]inositol into phosphatidylinositol of the aorta and the vas deferens was measured and the effects of Ca2+ and other divalent cations were determined. When incubated in normal Krebs-Ringer buffer, only negligible radioactivity was incorporated into aorta slices. Mn2+ increased the incorporation greatly. The enhanced incorporation was attributable to an increase in CDP-diglyceride:inositol transferase activity, rather than the myo-inositol exchange reaction. Transferase activity was increased 20-fold by 1 mM Mn2+, in the presence of 20 mM Mg2+. The Mn2+-stimulated activity was strongly inhibited by Ca2+. In the absence of Mn2+, but presence of 20 mM Mg2+, transferase activity was inhibited 80% by 0.01 mM Ca2+. Removal of endogenous Ca2+ from the tissue by ionophore A23187 and EGTA increased the incorporation of myo-[2-3H]inositol into phosphatidylinositol. These findings indicate that Ca2+ inhibited the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol. The proposed action of cholinergic and alpha-adrenergic agonists in enhancing the degradation and turnover of phosphatidyl-inositol and in provoking the influx of Ca2+ should be unfavorable to the recovery of cellular phosphatidylinositol content.