What voltage-sensing phosphatases can reveal about the mechanisms of ion channel regulation by phosphoinositides

Many membrane proteins including ion channels and ion transporters are regulated by membrane phospholipids such as phosphoinositides in cell membranes and organelles. Voltage-sensing phosphatase, VSP, is a voltage-sensitive phosphoinositide phosphatase which dephosphorylates PI(4,5)P2 into PI(4)P. VSP rapidly reduces the level of PI(4,5)P2 upon membrane depolarization, thus serving as a useful tool to quantitatively study phos-phoinositide-regulation of ion channels and ion transporters using a cellular electrophysi-ology system. In this review, we focus on the application of VSPs to Kv7 family potassium channels, which have been important research targets in biophysics, pharma-cology and medicine.

Automated summary

Many membrane proteins, such as ion channels and ion transporters, are regulated by membrane phospholipids, including phosphoinositides. Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) is a voltage-sensitive phosphoinositide phosphatase that reduces the level of PI(4,5)P2 upon membrane depolarization. VSPs are valuable tools for studying phosphoinositide regulation of ion channels and transporters in cellular electrophysiology, with a focus on Kv7 family potassium channels in this review.