The preparation of D-myo-inositol 1,4-bisphosphate and D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in milligram quantities from a readily available starting material.

The optimisation of a reaction for the conversion of glycerophosphoinositols to phosphoinositols is described. This reaction has been used in a scheme, described in detail, for the formation of D-myo-inositol 1,4-bisphosphate and D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in mg quantities from a readily available preparation of mixed phosphoinositides. An optimised procedure is also detailed for the recovery of these products to high yield and purity. The identity of the products has been confirmed both by high resolution anion-exchange column chromatography and by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance studies. We report for the first time the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum for D-myo-inositol 1,4-bisphosphate.