ORP5 and ORP8 bind phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-biphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P 2) and regulate its level at the plasma membrane.

ORP5 and ORP8, members of the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP)-related proteins (ORP) family, are endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins implicated in lipid trafficking. ORP5 and ORP8 are reported to localize to endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane junctions via binding to phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P), and act as a PtdIns(4)P/phosphatidylserine counter exchanger between the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. Here we provide evidence that the pleckstrin homology domain of ORP5/8 via PtdIns(4,5)P 2, and not PtdIns(4)P binding mediates the recruitment of ORP5/8 to endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites. The OSBP-related domain of ORP8 can extract and transport multiple phosphoinositides in vitro, and knocking down both ORP5 and ORP8 in cells increases the plasma membrane level of PtdIns(4,5)P 2 with little effect on PtdIns(4)P. Overall, our data show, for the first time, that phosphoinositides other than PtdIns(4)P can also serve as co-exchangers for the transport of cargo lipids by ORPs.ORP5/8 are endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane proteins implicated in lipid trafficking that localize to ER-plasma membrane (PM) contacts and maintain membrane homeostasis. Here the authors show that PtdIns(4,5)P 2 plays a critical role in the targeting and function of ORP5/8 at the PM.