Background information
ADAM11 was first described as MDC (Metalloproteinase-like disintergin-like cysteine-rich protein) from analysis of human brain libraries, in search of brain-specific proteins. Two splice variants with different carboxyterminal ends were described. The message was found only in the brain in this publication. Another group identified ADAM11 in the human brain, where ADAM11 was thought to be involved in cell migration and spatial patterning. ADAM11 was mapped to 17q21.3, a region of interest for breast cancer, and mutations in ADAM11 are associated with some breast cancers. Retinoic acid caused a doubling in ADAM11 message levels over 24 hours in NT2/D1 cells, a human embryonic carcinoma cell line. ADAM11 null mutant mice have deficits in spatial learning and motor coordination, although they did have normal cell migration and differentiation during development. ADAM11 is a member of the ADAMs family (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase), but does not contain the canonical HExxHxxxxH zinc-binding metalloproteinase catalytic site. The domain structure of the full-length ADAM11 includes a signal sequence, propeptide domain, metalloproteinase-like domain, disintegrin-like domain, cys-rich domain, EGF-like domain, a spacer region, then the transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic domain.
