PIP₂ regulation of TRPC5 channel activation and desensitization

Transient receptor potential canonical type 5 (TRPC5) ion channels are expressed in the brain and kidney and have been identified as promising therapeutic targets whose selective inhibition can protect against diseases driven by a leaky kidney filter, such as focal segmental glomerular sclerosis. TRPC5 channels are activated not only by elevated levels of extracellular Ca²⁺or lanthanide ions but also by G protein (G_q/11) stimulation. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) hydrolysis by phospholipase C enzymes leads to PKC-mediated phosphorylation of TRPC5 channels and their subsequent desensitization. However, the roles of PIP₂ in activation and maintenance of TRPC5 channel activity via its hydrolysis product diacyl glycerol (DAG), as well as the mechanism of desensitization of TRPC5 activity by DAG-stimulated PKC activity, remain unclear. Here, we designed experiments to distinguish between the processes underlying channel activation and inhibition. Employing whole-cell patch-clamp, we used an optogenetic tool to dephosphorylate PIP₂ and assess channel-PIP₂ interactions influenced by activators, such as DAG, or inhibitors, such as PKC phosphorylation. Using total internal reflection microscopy, we assessed channel cell surface density. We show that PIP₂ controls both the PKC-mediated inhibition and the DAG- and lanthanide-mediated activation of TRPC5 currents via control of gating rather than channel cell surface density. These mechanistic insights promise to aid in the development of more selective and precise inhibitors to block TRPC5 channel activity and illuminate new opportunities for targeted therapies for a group of chronic kidney diseases for which there is currently a great unmet need.