Abstract
Soluble, circulating Klotho (sKlotho) is essential for normal health and renal function. sKlotho is shed from the renal distal convoluted tubule (DCT), its primary source, via enzymatic cleavage. However, the physiologic mechanisms that control sKlotho production, trafficking, and shedding are not fully defined. We previously found that the G protein-coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) co-localizes with membrane-bound αKlotho and the disintegrin/metalloprotease ADAM10 in the DCT and controls sKlotho in response to CaSR ligands and pHo by activating ADAM10. Here, we advance understanding of this process by showing that tetraspanin 5 (Tspan5), a scaffolding and chaperone protein, contributes to the cell surface expression and specificity of a protein complex that includes Tspan5, ADAM10, Klotho, and CaSR. These results support a model of multiprotein complexes that confer signaling specificity beyond CaSR on G protein-coupled processes. Impact statement Systemic circulating sKlotho is a determinant for normal physiology. Studies of knockout animals established its role as an anti-aging protein. The regulatory mechanisms for Klotho production and secretion are largely unknown. We report that Tspan 5 contributes to CaSR- and ADAM10-dependent Klotho shedding from the kidney, its primary source.