MOLECULAR EFFECTS of lithium

Table 1.

Direct Targets of Lithium

Enzyme Function
Reproduced with permission from Gould et al., Mol. Psychiatry (2004)
Inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) Rate limiting enzyme in inositol recycling; lithium’s inhibition of IMPase led to the inositol depletion hypothesis of lithium’s actions
Inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase (IPPase) Enzyme involved in inositol recylcing in phosphoinositol signaling; acts prior to IMPase
Bisphosphate nucleotidase (BPNase) Removes phosphate from 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphate (PAP) to form adenosine 5′phosphate (AMP); an increase in PAP inhibits sulphotransferases, which transfer sulfur to biological molecules
Fructose 1,6-bisphosphastase (FBPase) Key enzyme in glyconeogenesis; catalyzes the removal of the 1-phosphate from fructose 1, 6-bisphosphatase to form fructose 6-phosphate
Phosphoglucomutase (PGM) Key enzyme in glycogenolysis and glycogenesis; catalyzes the formation of glucose 1-phosphate from glucose 6-phosphate during glycogenolysis (and the reverse during glycogenesis)
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) Normally active kinase that is inhibited by the activity of many signaling pathways; inhibiting GSK-3 has been linked to neurotrophic support, neuroprotection, and possible modulation of circadian rhythms

This Article

  1. MI October 2004 vol. 4 no. 5 259-272