May be involved in mediating calcium-activated chloride conductance. May play critical roles in goblet cell metaplasia, mucus hypersecretion, cystic fibrosis and AHR. May be involved in the regulation of mucus production and/or secretion by goblet cells. Involved in the regulation of tissue inflammation in the innate immune response. May play a role as a tumor suppressor. Induces MUC5AC. Induces a cAMP-dependent chloride conductance possibly through effects on CFTR in colon carcinoma cells. Expressed in ileum, trachea, and the major salivary glands. In ileum, expressed to the crypt and villus epithelia, whereas in trachea expressed in both surface epithelium and submucosal glands. The metalloprotease region is responsible for autoproteolytic processing. It can also cross-cleave other CLCA substrates. Glycosylated. The translation product is autoproteolytically cleaved by the metalloprotease domain in the endoplasmic reticulum into a N-terminal and a C-terminal products that remain physically associated with each other. The cleavage is necessary for calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) activation activity. Belongs to the CLCR family.