Phospholipase C

Phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolyzes PI(4,5)P2 to generate IP3 and DAG, positioning PLC as a central enzyme in phosphoinositide metabolism and intracellular signal transduction[1]. Mechanistically, IP3 regulates intracellular Ca2+ release, while DAG supports protein kinase C activation, linking receptor stimulation to calcium signaling, proliferation, differentiation, and motility[1][2]. In mammals, PLC enzymes form structurally defined isozyme classes with shared catalytic activity but distinct activation mechanisms and physiological functions[1][3]. Compared with PLCβ, which couples strongly to G-protein-coupled receptor signaling, PLCγ functions downstream of receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinases and contains γ-specific regulatory domains that support isoform-specific signaling[4]. Disease-focused studies link PLCγ dysfunction to immune disorders and cancer, while PLCγ2 mutations connect immune dysregulation, malignancy, and neurodegeneration models[4][5]. For experimental applications, U73122 has been widely used to probe PLC-dependent signaling, but purified-enzyme studies showed direct PLC activation by U73122, so inhibitor-based experiments require careful controls[6][7].