| Modification Notes |
ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain with Thrombospondin type-1 modules) is a family of zinc-dependent proteases that are implicated in a variety of normal and pathological conditions, including arthritis and cancer. ADAMTS protein family members contain an amino-terminal propeptide domain, a metalloproteinase domain, a disintegrin-like domain and a carboxy-terminus that contains a varying number of Thrombospondin type-1 (TSP 1) motifs. ADAMTS genes are primarily expressed in fetal tissues, including the lung, kidney and liver. ADAMTS-15 is a weak aggrecanase expressed in the fetal kidney and liver. It cleaves the interglobular domain of aggrecan, separating the G1 and G2 domains. In human breast carcinoma, low expression levels of ADAMTS-15 together with high expression levels of ADAMTS-8 is associated with a greater risk for recurrence and death. |