Gprotein-activated inwardly rectifying K ؉ channel (GIRK or Kir3) currents are inhibited by mechanical stretch of the cell membrane, but the underlying mechanisms are not understood. In Xenopus oocytes heterologously expressing GIRK channels, membrane stretch induced by 50% reduction of osmotic pressure caused a prompt reduction of GIRK1/4, GIRK1, and GIRK4 currents by 16.6 -42.6%. Comparable GIRK current reduction was produced by protein kinase C (PKC) activation (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate). The mechanosensitivity of the GIRK4 current was abolished by pretreatment with PKC inhibitors (staurosporine or calphostin C). Neither hypo-osmotic challenge nor PKC activation affected IRK1 currents. GIRK4 chimera (GIRK4-IRK1-(Lys 207 -Leu 245 )) and single point mutant (GIRK4(I229L)), in which the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) binding domain or residue was replaced by the corresponding region of IRK1 to strengthen the channel-PIP 2 interaction, showed no mechanosensitivity and minimal PKC sensitivity. IRK1 gained mechanosensitivity and PKC sensitivity by reverse double point mutation of the PIP 2 binding domain (L222I/R213Q). Overexpression of G␥, which is known to strengthen the channel-PIP 2 interaction, attenuated the mechanosensitivity of GIRK4 channels. In oocytes expressing a pleckstrin homology domain of PLC-␦ tagged with green fluorescent protein, hypo-osmotic challenge or PKC activation caused a translocation of the fluorescence signal from the cell membrane to the cytosol, reflecting PIP 2 hydrolysis. The translocation was prevented by pretreatment with PKC inhibitors. Involvement of PKC activation in the mechanosensitivity of muscarinic K ؉ channels was confirmed in native rabbit atrial myocytes. These results suggest that the mechanosensitivity of GIRK channels is mediated primarily by channel-PIP 2 interaction, with PKC playing an important role in modulating the interaction probably through PIP 2 hydrolysis.Muscarinic K ϩ (K ACh ) 1 channels in the heart are heterotetrameric channels composed of two subunits, GIRK1 (Kir3.1) and GIRK4 (Kir3.4) (1). The K ACh channels are stimulated by M 2 receptor activation in response to parasympathetic stimulation, which leads to the hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and results in a decreased heart rate (2, 3). In addition to this canonical activating pathway, molecules such as G␥, intracellular Na ϩ , and Mg 2ϩ also activate the GIRK channels by strengthening the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) interaction with the channels (4). PIP 2 has been shown to directly interact with the C terminus of the GIRK channels and activate the channels as a membrane-delimited second messenger (5). GIRK channels have also been shown to be modulated by other factors such as mechanical stretch (6) and protein kinase C (PKC) (3, 7), although an involvement of PIP 2 is not known.Mechanical stimuli alter the electrophysiological properties of the heart. This mechanoelectrical feedback plays important roles in regulating cardiac function (8, 9)....