MCK1 is a novel regulator of myo-inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS) that is required for inhibition of inositol synthesis by the mood stabilizer valproate.

Myo-inositol, the precursor of all inositol compounds, is essential for the viability of eukaryotes. Identifying the factors that regulate inositol homeostasis is of obvious importance to understanding cell function and the pathologies underlying neurological and metabolic resulting from perturbation of inositol metabolism. The current study identifies Mck1, a GSK3 homolog, as a novel positive regulator of inositol de novo synthesis in yeast. Mck1 was required for normal activity of myo-inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of inositol synthesis. mck1Δ cells exhibited a 50% decrease in MIPS activity and a decreased rate of incorporation of [13C6]glucose into [13C6]-inositol-3-phosphate and [13C6]-inositol compared to WT cells. mck1Δ cells also exhibited decreased growth in the presence of the inositol depleting drug valproate (VPA), which was rescued by supplementation of inositol. However, in contrast to wild type cells, which exhibited more than a 40% decrease in MIPS activity in the presence of VPA, the drug did not significantly decrease MIPS activity in mck1Δ cells. These findings indicate that VPA-induced MIPS inhibition is Mck1-dependent, and suggest a model that unifies two current hypotheses of the mechanism of action of VPA-inositol depletion and GSK3 inhibition.