Diverse Functions of a Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin Motif-1

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif-1 (ADAMTS1) was initially cloned from a colon cachexia cell line. In the last 20 years, novel matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) genes were found, and in addition to their original members (MMPs and membrane-type MMPs), the current MMP family contains a disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs) and ADAMTS. ADAM and ADAMTS play essential roles in organogenesis as well as various diseases including osteoarthritis. ADAMTS has 19 members and can be divided into several groups according to their substrates. ADAMTS1, the first member of ADAMTS identified, is located on chromosome 21 very close to another ADAMTS member, ADAMTS5. Interestingly, ADAMTS1 is not highly expressed in normal tissues. One stimulation such as inflammation quickly induces ADAMTS1 expression. We found that hypoxia induced ADAMTS1 expression in endothelial cells, and serum ADAMTS1 levels were elevated in acute myocardial infarction patients. Once the artery was reperfused, the serum ADAMTS1 level quickly returned to the normal level. We also found that ADAMTS1 has specific roles in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and these functions were not related to its protease activity. It is also interesting that ADAMTS1 is likely to have a unique role in the tumor microenvironment. We also analyzed ADAMTS1-deficient mice and the results suggested that ADAMTS1 has diverse biological functions.