G-protein coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) are ubiquitously expressed throughout the human body and are an integral part of inhibitory signal transduction pathways. Upon binding of Gβγ subunits released from G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), GIRK channels open and reduce the activity of excitable cells via hyperpolarization. As such, they play a role in cardiac output, the coordination of movement and cognition. Due to their involvement in a multitude of pathways, the precision control of GIRK channels is an important endeavour. Here, we describe the development of the photoswitchable agonist LOGO (the Light Operated GIRK-channel Opener), which activates GIRK channels in the dark and is rapidly deactivated upon exposure to long wavelength UV irradiation. LOGO is the first K+ channel opener and selectively targets channels that contain the GIRK1 subunit. It can be used to optically silence action potential firing in dissociated hippocampal neurons and LOGO exhibits activity in vivo, controlling the motility of zebrafish larvae in a light dependent fashion. We envisage that LOGO will be a valuable research tool to dissect the function of GIRK channels from other GPCR dependent signalling pathways.

The GABAB (γ-aminobutyric acid type B) receptor is one of the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain, and it signals through heterotrimeric G proteins to activate a variety of effectors, including G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs)1,2. GABAB-receptor signalling is tightly regulated by auxiliary subunits called KCTDs, which control the kinetics of GIRK activation and desensitization3-5. However, the mechanistic basis for KCTD modulation of GABAB signalling remains incompletely understood. Here, using a combination of X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and functional and biochemical experiments, we reveal the molecular details of KCTD binding to both GABAB receptors and G-protein βγ subunits. KCTDs associate with the receptor by forming an asymmetric pentameric ring around a region of the receptor carboxy-terminal tail, while a second KCTD domain, H1, engages in a symmetric interaction with five copies of Gβγ in which the G-protein subunits also interact directly with one another. We further show that KCTD binding to Gβγ is highly cooperative, defining a model in which KCTD proteins cooperatively strip G proteins from GIRK channels to induce rapid desensitization following receptor activation. These results provide a framework for understanding the molecular basis for the precise temporal control of GABAB signalling by KCTD proteins.