Membrane phospholipids, such as phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P 3 ), are signaling molecules that can directly modulate the activity of ion channels, including the epithelial Na ؉ channel (ENaC). Whereas PI(3,4,5)P 3 directly activates ENaC, its binding site within the channel has not been identified. We identify here a region of ␥-mENaC just following the second trans-membrane domain (residues 569 -583) important to PI(3, Direct regulation of ion channel activity by phospholipid signaling molecules is becoming widely appreciated (reviewed in Ref. 1). This mechanism for ion channel modulation is recognized to be physiologically important for its disruption, in some instances, leads to disease (e.g. Bartter and Andersen syndromes) (2-5). Diverse types of ion channels, including those composed of subunits having only two trans-membrane domains, such as ENaC 2 and inwardly rectifying K ϩ channels (Kir), as well as those with subunits having multiple (four or six) membranespanning domains, such as KCNQ, HERG, and two pore domain K ϩ channels, and transient receptor potential and cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, are modulated by phospholipids (6 -13). Phospholipids, such as PI(4,5)P 2 and PI(3,4,5)P 3 , directly interact with these channels to modulate gating (6,9,14). ENaC is a heteromeric channel composed of three distinct but similar subunits: ␣, , and ␥ (15, 16). Each subunit has an amino-and carboxylterminal cytosolic domain separated by two trans-membrane domains and a large extracellular region. ENaC serves an essential physiological function, since its activity is limiting for Na ϩ absorption across many epithelia, including that in the distal renal nephron (reviewed in Refs. 17-19). Thus, ENaC is well positioned to influence system Na ϩ balance and blood pressure. Indeed, gain and loss of function mutations in ENaC lead to inheritable forms of hypertension and hypotension, respectively, associated with inappropriate salt conservation and wasting at the kidney (20, 21). In addition, ENaC plays a critical role in hydration and fluid reabsorption across many mucosal membranes. Deletion and overexpression of ENaC correspondingly lead to excessively wet and dry air spaces with associated disease (21, 22). The mineralocorticoid aldosterone increases ENaC activity. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for PI(3,4,5)P 3 signaling in regulation of ENaC by aldosterone and other hormones, such as insulin (23-30). Aldosterone increases PI3-K activity and production of its phospholipid products (29). In some preparations, aldosterone activates PI3-K to augment ENaC activity via transcriptional control of the upstream PI3-Kregulator, K-Ras (31-33). Both K-Ras and PI3-K increase ENaC open probability (31)(32)(33). Moreover, we recently demonstrated a direct effect of PI(3,4,5)P 3 on ENaC to increase channel open probability (33).4The phospholipid binding site in several types of ion channels, particularly that for PI(4,5)P 2 binding to Kir and transient receptor potential channels, is becoming cle...