Polarized localization of phosphatidylserine in the endothelium regulates Kir2.1

Lipid regulation of ion channels is largely explored using in silico modeling with minimal experimentation in intact tissue; thus, the functional consequences of these predicted lipid-channel interactions within native cellular environments remain elusive. The goal of this study is to investigate how lipid regulation of endothelial Kir2.1 — an inwardly rectifying potassium channel that regulates membrane hyperpolarization — contributes to vasodilation in resistance arteries. First, we show that phosphatidylserine (PS) localizes to a specific subpopulation of myoendothelial junctions (MEJs), crucial signaling microdomains that regulate vasodilation in resistance arteries, and in silico data have implied that PS may compete with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) binding on Kir2.1. We found that Kir2.1-MEJs also contained PS, possibly indicating an interaction where PS regulates Kir2.1. Electrophysiology experiments on HEK cells demonstrate that PS blocks PIP₂ activation of Kir2.1 and that addition of exogenous PS blocks PIP₂-mediated Kir2.1 vasodilation in resistance arteries. Using a mouse model lacking canonical MEJs in resistance arteries (Eln^fl/fl/Cdh5-Cre), PS localization in endothelium was disrupted and PIP₂ activation of Kir2.1 was significantly increased. Taken together, our data suggest that PS enrichment to MEJs inhibits PIP₂-mediated activation of Kir2.1 to tightly regulate changes in arterial diameter, and they demonstrate that the intracellular lipid localization within the endothelium is an important determinant of vascular function.