FXYD5 (related to ion channel, dysadherin) is a member of the FXYD family of single span type I membrane proteins. Five members of this group have been shown to interact with the Na,KATPase and to modulate its properties. However, FXYD5 is structurally different from other family members and has been suggested to play a role in regulating E-cadherin and promoting metastasis (Ino, Y., Gotoh, M., Sakamoto, M., Tsukagoshi, K., and Hirohashi, S. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 365-370). The goal of this study was to determine whether FXYD5 can modulate the Na,KATPase activity, establish its cellular and tissue distribution, and characterize its biochemical properties. Anti-FXYD5 antibodies detected a 24-kDa polypeptide that was preferentially expressed in kidney, intestine, spleen, and lung. In kidney, FXYD5 resides in the basolateral membrane of the connecting tubule, the collecting tubule, and the intercalated cells of the collecting duct. However, there is also labeling of the apical membrane in long thin limb of Henle's loop. FXYD5 was effectively immunoprecipitated by antibodies to the ␣ subunit of Na,K-ATPase and the anti-FXYD5 antibody immunoprecipitates ␣. Co-expressing FXYD5 with the ␣1 and 1 subunits of the Na,K-ATPase in Xenopus oocytes elicited a more than 2-fold increase in pump activity, measured either as ouabainblockable outward current or as ouabain-sensitive 86 Rb ؉ uptake.Thus, as found with other FXYD proteins, FXYD5 interacts with the Na,K-ATPase and modulates its properties.Work in several laboratories led to the identification of a family of proteins, named after the common motif FXYD (1). Five members of this group have been shown to interact with the Na,K-ATPase and elicit different effects on its kinetics. These are as follows: FXYD1 (phospholemman, PLM), 3 (2); FXYD2 (the ␥ subunit of Na,K-ATPase, ␥) (3); FXYD3 (Mat-8) (4); FXYD4 (corticosteroid hormone-induced factor, CHIF) (5); and FXYD7 (6). In addition, a PLM-like protein from shark rectal gland has been characterized (7,8). The remaining two family members FXYD5 (related to ion channel, dysadherin) and FXYD6 have not yet been analyzed for possible interactions with the Na,K-ATPase. The working hypothesis is that all family members modulate the pump kinetics in vivo and function as tissue-specific modulators of the Na,KATPase (9 -11). However, other functions for FXYD proteins have also been suggested (12-16).FXYD proteins are type I membrane proteins with an extracellular N terminus (sometimes including a signal peptide), a single transmembrane domain, and an intracellular C terminus. With the exception of FXYD5, the extracellular domain is shorter than 40 amino acids, including a cleavable signal peptide. In the case of FXYD5, the extracellular domain is long, Ͼ140 amino acids. On the other hand, FXYD5 has the shortest intracellular C-terminal segment of only 15 amino acids. FXYD5 has been cloned as a tissue-specific and developmentally regulated gene induced by the oncoprotein E2a-Pbx1 and termed "related to ion channel...