Understanding inositol pyrophosphate metabolism and function: kinetic characterization of the DIPPs.

We illuminate the metabolism and the cell-signaling activities of inositol pyrophosphates, by showing that regulation of yeast cyclin-kinase by 1-InsP7 is not conserved for mammalian CDK5, and by kinetically characterizing Ddp1p/DIPP-mediated dephosphorylation of 1-InsP7, 5-InsP7 and InsP8. Each phosphatase exhibited similar Km values for every substrate (range: 35-148 nM). The rank order of kcat values (1-InsP7>5-InsP7=InsP8) was identical for each enzyme, although DIPP1 was 10- to 60-fold more active than DIPP2α/β and DIPP3α/β. We demonstrate InsP8 dephosphorylation preferentially progresses through 1-InsP7. Conversely, we conclude that the more metabolically and functionally significant steady-state route of InsP8 synthesis proceeds via 5-InsP7.