The phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) phosphates represent a small percentage of total membrane phospholipids. However, they play a critical role in the generation and transmission of cellular signals. PtdIns-(1,2-dioctanoyl) is a synthetic analog of natural phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) containing C8:0 fatty acids at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions. The compound features the same inositol and diacyl glycerol (DAG) stereochemistry as that of the natural compound. The short fatty acid chains of this analog, compared to naturally-occurring PtdIns, gives it different physical properties including high solubility in aqueous media. PtdIns are phosphorylated to mono- (PtdIns-P; PIP), di- (PtdIns-P2; PIP2), and triphosphates (PtdIns-P3; PIP3). Hydrolysis of PtdIns-(4,5)-P2 by phosphoinositide (PI)-specific phospholipase C generates inositol triphosphate (IP3) and DAG which are key second messengers in an intricate biochemical signal transduction cascade.