Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate: Low abundance, high significance

Recent studies of the low abundant signaling lipid, phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P-2), reveal an intriguingly diverse list of downstream pathways, the intertwined relationship between PI(3,5)P-2 and PI5P, as well as links to neurodegenerative diseases. Derived from the structural lipid phosphatidylinositol, PI(3,5)P-2 is dynamically generated on multiple cellular compartments where interactions with an increasing list of effectors regulate many cellular pathways. A complex of proteins that includes Fab1/PIKfyve, Vac14, and Fig4/Sac3 mediates the biosynthesis of PI(3,5)P-2, and mutations that disrupt complex function and/or formation cause profound consequences in cells. Surprisingly, mutations in this pathway are linked with neurological diseases, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Future studies of PI(3,5)P-2 and PI5P are likely to expand the roles of these lipids in regulation of cellular functions, as well as provide new approaches for treatment of some neurological diseases.