ADAMTS18: Proteins and Enzymes

ADAMTS18 (A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 18) is a 1,221 amino acid protein that is thought to function as a tumor suppressor. ADAMTS family members share several distinct protein modules, including a propeptide region, a metalloproteinase domain, a disintegrin-like domain, and a thrombospondin type 1 (TS) motif. Individual members of this family differ in the number of C-terminal TS motifs, and some have unique C-terminal domains. ADAMTS18 is downregulated in carcinoma cell lines by methylation of its promoter. Forced expression of ADAMTS18 in carcinoma cells can lead to significant inhibition of cell growth, suggesting that it plays a significant role as a tumor suppressor. Mutations in ADAMTS18 are the cause of Knobloch syndrome type 2 (KNO2) and ADAMTS18 has also been linked to carotid artery occlusion, vitreoretinal degeneration, retinal detachment, myopia, cataracts, nasopharyngitis, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, cerebritis breast cancer, melanoma and pancreatitis.