A disintegrin & metalloproteinase domain 18; transmembrane metalloproteinase-like, disintegrin-like, & cysteine-rich protein III; tMDC III (ADAM18, TMDC3, UNQ858/PRO1867)

Function

• sperm surface membrane protein
• may be involved in spermatogenesis & fertilization
• non catalytic metalloprotease-like protein (putative)
• the prodomain & metalloprotease-like domain are cleaved during epididymal maturation of the spermatozoa

Structure

• a tripeptide motif (ECD) within disintegrin-like domain could be involved in the binding to egg integrin receptor & thus could mediate sperm/egg binding
• contains 1 disintegrin domain
• contains 1 EGF-like domain
• contains 1 peptidase M12B domain

Compartment

membrane

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

expressed specifically in testis

More general terms

• ADAM protease
• glycoprotein
• testis-specific protein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=8749
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:8749
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9Y3Q7.html