Uptake and phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol by rat liver nuclei. Role of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein

The incorporation of phosphatidyl[2-3H]inositol ([3H]PI) from vesicles or microsomal membranes into rat liver nuclei is greatly stimulated by phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PI-TP). The nuclei are able to phosphorylate [3H]PI, with the production of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP). Recovery of tritiated inositol trisphosphate, inositol phosphate, glycerophosphoinositol and inositol, suggests that in isolated nuclei a large set of enzymes of the PI cycle is present, similar to the enzymes involved in the plasma membrane PI cycle. Incubation with [gamma-32P]ATP shows that isolated nuclei are able to phosphorylate endogenous PI to PIP and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). In the presence of exogenous PI and detergent the synthesis of PIP is increased, indicating that in nuclei the PI pool is suboptimal for the PI-kinase activity. The present study suggests that PI-TP may be involved in providing substrates for PI metabolism at the nuclear level.