Background information
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-L2 (ADAMTS-like protein 2) is a 951 amino acid secreted protein that is highly expressed in lung, kidney and liver. Mutations in the gene encoding ADAMTS are the cause of geleophysic dysplasia, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by cardiac vavular anomalies, short stature, thick skin and brachydactyly. In individuals affected with geleophysic dysplasia, there is a significant increase in total active TGF-beta 1 and nuclear locations of p-SAMD2 in fibroblasts. Interestingly, ADAMTS-L2 interacts with LTBP-1, a glycoprotein that is part of the platelet-derived TGF-beta 1 complex.
