The American Journal of Bioethics, Volume 12, Issue 9, Page 30-32, September 2012.

The second messenger function of inositol 1,4,5‐ trisphosphate (InsP3) is now well‐defined – it mobilizes Ca2+ from intracellular stores so that cytosolic Ca2+ increases. However, the function of inositol 1,3,4,5‐ tetrakisphosphate (InsP4) has proved much more difficult to fathom, as it has been reported to exert a wide variety of effects in a collection of experimental systems. In this review, a proposed molecular mechanism for InsP4 actions is discussed; it is suggested that InsP4 is the second messenger that controls Ca2+ (...) entry into cells, and that it does so by binding to a receptor which itself interacts, directly or Indirectly, with the receptor for InsP3 It is proposed that this is InsP4's true physiological function, but the mechanism by which it exerts this function has led to confusing data concerning its action, and also to some misconceptions about how inositol phosphates control Ca2+ entry. (shrink)

An Odyssey With Animals: A Veterinarian’s Reflections on the Animal Rights and Welfare Debate Content Type Journal Article Category Book Review Pages 379-381 DOI 10.1007/s11673-011-9327-x Authors Rob Irvine, Sydney Bioethics Program, Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, Medical Foundation Building, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Sydney, Australia Journal Journal of Bioethical Inquiry Online ISSN 1872-4353 Print ISSN 1176-7529 Journal Volume Volume 8 Journal Issue Volume 8, Number 4.