Klotho Exerts an Emerging Role in Cytokinesis

The Klotho gene functions as an anti-aging gene. A previous klotho-knockout mice study indicated that neither male nor female gametocytes could accomplish the first meiotic division. It suggested that Klotho might regulate cell division. In this study, we determined the roles of Klotho in cytokinesis in cultural human cells (HEK293 and HeLa) and in zebrafish embryos. Immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry analysis, and a zebrafish model were used in this study. The results showed that Klotho is located in the midbody, which correlated with cytokinesis related kinases, Aurora kinase B and citron kinases, in the late stage of cytokinesis. There was a spatial correlation between the abscission site and the location of Klotho in the cytokinesis bridge. A three-dimensional structural reconstruction study demonstrated there was a spatial correlation among Klotho, Aurora kinase B, and citron kinases in the midbody. In addition, Klotho depletion inactivated Aurora kinases; it was also indicated that Klotho depletion caused aberrant cell cycle and delayed cytokinesis in a cell model. The study with zebrafish embryos suggested that klotho knockdown caused early embryo development abnormality due to dysregulated cytokinesis. In conclusion, Klotho might have a critical role in cytokinesis regulation by interacting with the cytokinesis related kinases.