Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Biphosphate (PIP2) Modulates Interaction of Syntaxin-1A with Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 to Regulate Pancreatic β-Cell ATP-sensitive Potassium Channels

In beta-cells, syntaxin (Syn)-1A interacts with SUR1 to inhibit ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K-ATP channels). PIP2 binds the Kir6.2 subunit to open K-ATP channels. PIP2 also modifies Syn-1A clustering in plasma membrane (PM) that may alter Syn-1A actions on PM proteins like SUR1. Here, we assessed whether the actions of PIP2 on activating K-ATP channels is contributed by sequestering Syn-1A from binding SUR1. In vitro binding showed that PIP2 dose-dependently disrupted Syn-1A center dot SUR1 complexes, corroborated by an in vivo Forster resonance energy transfer assay showing disruption of SUR1(-EGFP)/Syn-1A(-mCherry) interaction along with increased Syn-1A cluster formation. Electrophysiological studies of rat beta-cells, INS-1, and SUR1/Kir6.2-expressing HEK293 cells showed that PIP2 dose-dependent activation of K-ATP currents was uniformly reduced by Syn-1A. To unequivocally distinguish between PIP2 actions on Syn-1A and Kir6.2, we employed several strategies. First, we showed that PIP2-insensitive Syn-1A-5RK/A mutant complex with SUR1 could not be disrupted by PIP2, consequently reducing PIP2 activation of K-ATP channels. Next, Syn-1A center dot SUR1 complex modulation of K-ATP channels could be observed at a physiologically low PIP2 concentration that did not disrupt the Syn-1A center dot SUR1 complex, compared with higher PIP2 concentrations acting directly on Kir6.2. These effects were specific to PIP2 and not observed with physiologic concentrations of other phospholipids. Finally, depleting endogenous PIP2 with polyphosphoinositide phosphatase synaptojanin-1, known to disperse Syn-1A clusters, freed Syn-1A from Syn-1A clusters to bind SUR1, causing inhibition of K-ATP channels that could no longer be further inhibited by exogenous Syn-1A. These results taken together indicate that PIP2 affects islet beta-cell K-ATP channels not only by its actions on Kir6.2 but also by sequestering Syn-1A to modulate Syn-1A availability and its interactions with SUR1 on PM.