Dissecting inositol pyrophosphates signalling

我的研究重点是肌醇磷酸酯的研究，肌醇磷酸酯是一个大家族的小分子，在所有生物体中调节许多必需和基本的功能，包括心肌收缩，大脑中神经递质的释放，哺乳动物细胞的存活和免疫系统细胞的迁移。这个家族的两个新成员（称为IP7和IP8）具有包含高能焦磷酸盐键的异常不寻常的性质。这类似于在ATP中发现的高能磷酸键，ATP是所有细胞中发现的主要能量储存分子。像ATP一样，IP7和IP8也存在于迄今为止分析的所有细胞中，从真菌到人类，但对它们的生理功能知之甚少。从它们的高能量键中释放能量，可能会驱动各种基本的生化过程，我的研究目标是确定这类新颖而令人兴奋的高能分子的生理作用。

My research is focused on the study of inositol phosphates, a large family of small molecules that regulate many essential and basic functions in all living organisms, including heart muscle contraction, the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, mammalian cell survival and the migration of cells of the immune system. Two new members of this family (called IP7 and IP8) have the exceptionally unusual property of containing high energy Pyro-phosphate bonds. This is similar to the high energy phosphate bond found in ATP, the main energy storage molecule found in all cells. Like ATP, IP7 and IP8 are also found in all cells analyzed so far, ranging from fungi to humans, but very little is known about their physiological functions. The release of energy from their high energy bonds could, potentially, drive a variety of fundamental biochemical processes and the goal of my research is to identify the physiological role of this novel and exciting class of high-energy molecules.