The Mg 2ϩ -inhibited cation (MIC) current (I MIC) in cardiac myocytes biophysically resembles currents of heterologously expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, particularly TRPM6 and TRPM7, known to be important in Mg 2ϩ homeostasis. To understand the regulation of MIC channels in cardiac cells, we used the whole cell voltage-clamp technique to investigate the role of intracellular ATP in pig, rat, and guinea pig isolated ventricular myocytes. I MIC, studied in the presence or absence of extracellular divalent cations, was sustained for Ն50 min after patch rupture in ATP-dialyzed cells, whereas in ATPdepleted cells I MIC exhibited complete rundown. Equimolar substitution of internal ATP by its nonhydrolyzable analog adenosine 5Ј-(,␥-imido)triphosphate failed to prevent rundown. In ATP-depleted cells, inhibition of lipid phosphatases by fluoride ϩ vanadate ϩ pyrophosphate prevented I MIC rundown. In contrast, under similar conditions neither the inhibition of protein phosphatases 1, 2A, 2B or of protein tyrosine phosphatase nor the activation of protein kinase A (forskolin, 20 M) or protein kinase C (phorbol myristate acetate, 100 nM) could prevent rundown. In ATP-loaded cells, depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2) by prevention of its resynthesis (10 M wortmannin or 15 M phenylarsine oxide) induced rundown of I MIC. Finally, loading ATP-depleted cells with exogenous PIP 2 (10 M) prevented rundown. These results suggest that PIP 2, likely generated by ATP-utilizing lipid kinases, is necessary for maintaining cardiac MIC channel activity. cation channels; hydrolysis; phosphoinositides; rundown SEVERAL ION CHANNELS PARTICIPATE in ion fluxes that are critical for cardiac function. Apart from the well-characterized cationselective voltage-gated, ligand-gated, and background ion channels as well as the pacemaker channels, the nature of other cardiac cation-permeable channels remains unclear. In cardiac and other tissues, transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins are molecular candidates for cation-permeable channels (36). The TRP proteins are members of three main (TRPC, TRPV, and TRPM) and some more distantly related subfamilies. They form channels gated by stimuli such as voltage, chemical, or physical factors and are involved in both physiological and pathological functions (36).We previously described (10, 31, 48) a Mg 2ϩ -inhibited cation (MIC) channel in cardiac myocytes that displays pharmacological and pore properties resembling those of TRPM6 and TRPM7 channels. Native TRPM7-like currents such as cardiac MIC are also referred to as magnesium-nucleotideregulated metal ion (MagNuM) currents (32). TRPM6 and TRPM7 are closely related members of the TRPM subfamily, which form channels with very similar properties (29, 45). TRPM6 is mainly expressed in the kidney and small intestines, and its mutation causes hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia (5, 41, 46). TRPM7 is widely expressed with high levels in the kidney and heart. It is essential for cell viability and prolife...