Structure of the mouse klotho gene and its two transcripts encoding membrane and secreted protein.

We previously established a novel mouse model for human aging and identified the genetic foundation responsible for it. A defect in expression of a novel gene, termed klotho (kl), leads to a syndrome resembling human aging in mice. The kl gene encodes a single-pass membrane protein whose extracellular domain carries homology to beta-glucosidases. In this report, we present the entire mouse kl gene organization. The mouse kl gene spans about 50 kilobases and consists of five exons. The promoter region lacks a TATA-box and contains four potential binding sites for SP1. We further show that two kl gene transcripts encoding membrane or secreted protein are generated through alternative transcriptional termination. These findings provide fundamental information for further study of the kl gene which may regulate aging in vivo.