ADAM12

Human protein-coding gene
title: "ADAM12" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["proteases", "human-proteins", "ec-3.4.24"] description: "Human protein-coding gene" topic_path: "general/proteases" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADAM12" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Human protein-coding gene ::
Disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 12 (previously Meltrin) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ADAM12 gene. ADAM12 has two splice variants: ADAM12-L, the long form, has a transmembrane region and ADAM12-S, a shorter variant, is soluble and lacks the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains.
Function
This gene encodes a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) protein family. Members of this family are membrane-anchored proteins structurally related to snake venom disintegrins, and have been implicated in a variety of biological processes involving cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, including fertilization, muscle development, and neurogenesis. This gene has two alternatively spliced transcripts: a shorter secreted form and a longer membrane-bound form. The shorter form is found to stimulate myogenesis.
Clinical Significance
ADAM 12, a metalloprotease that binds insulin growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), appears to be an effective early Down syndrome marker. Decreased levels of ADAM 12 may be detected in cases of trisomy 21 as early as 8 to 10 weeks gestation. Maternal serum ADAM 12 and PAPP-A levels at 8 to 9 weeks gestation in combination with maternal age yielded a 91% detection rate for Down syndrome at a 5% false-positive rate. When nuchal translucency data from approximately 12 weeks gestation was added, this increased the detection rate to 97%.
ADAM12 has also been implicated in the development of pathology in various cancers, hypertension, liver fibrogenesis, and asthma. In asthma, ADAM12 is upregulated in lung epithelium in response to TNF-alpha.
In a study of about 1200 persons with extremely high intelligence (IQ about 170), variants of the gene were associated with high IQ compared with a general population.
Interactions
ADAM12 has been shown to interact with:
References
References
- (Feb 1998). "A novel, secreted form of human ADAM 12 (meltrin alpha) provokes myogenesis in vivo". J. Biol. Chem..
- (Jun 2008). "Cellular roles of ADAM12 in health and disease". Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol..
- (1995). "A metalloprotease-disintegrin participating in myoblast fusion.". Nature.
- "Entrez Gene: ADAM12 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 (meltrin alpha)".
- Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th Edition; Copyright ©2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Chapter 7: Prenatal Diagnosis, Page 113
- (2013). "A disintegrin and metalloproteinase-12 (ADAM12): function, roles in disease progression, and clinical implications". Biochim. Biophys. Acta.
- (2009). "Role of a disintegrin and metalloprotease-12 in neutrophil recruitment induced by airway epithelium". Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol..
- Dzirasa, Kafui. (2017-08-02). "A brilliant approach to study the basis of intelligence?". Science Translational Medicine.
- (May 2000). "Binding of ADAM12, a marker of skeletal muscle regeneration, to the muscle-specific actin-binding protein, alpha -actinin-2, is required for myoblast fusion". J. Biol. Chem..
- (Jun 2000). "ADAM 12, a disintegrin metalloprotease, interacts with insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3". J. Biol. Chem..
- (Nov 2000). "ADAM 12-S cleaves IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 and is inhibited by TIMP-3". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun..
- (Jul 2001). "Direct interaction between the cytoplasmic tail of ADAM 12 and the Src homology 3 domain of p85alpha activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in C2C12 cells". J. Biol. Chem..
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