Guilt by Association: A Phenotype-Based View of the Plant Phosphoinositide Network

Abstract

Eukaryotic membranes contain small amounts of phospholipids that have regulatory effects on the physiological functions of cells, tissues, and organs. Phosphoinositides (PIs)—the phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol—are one example of such regulatory lipids. Although PIs were described in plants decades ago, their contribution to the regulation of physiological processes in plants is not well understood. In the past few years, evidence has emerged that PIs are essential for plant function and development. Recently reported phenotypes associated with the perturbation of different PIs suggest that some subgroups of PIs influence specific processes. Although the molecular targets of PI-dependent regulation in plants are largely unknown, the effects of perturbed PI metabolism can be used to propose regulatory modules that involve particular downstream targets of PI regulation. This review summarizes phenotypes associated with the perturbation of the plant PI network to categorize functions and suggest possible downstream targets of plant PI regulation.