ADAM 17 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 17, TNF-a Converting Enzyme, TACE, TNF alpha Converting Enzyme)

Tumor-necrosis factor-a is a proinflammatory cytokine and contributes to a variety of inflammatory disease responses and programmed cell death. TNF-a is synthesized as a 26K type II membrane-bound precursor that is cleaved by a convertase to generate secreted 17K mature TNF-a. TNF-a converting enzyme (TACE) protein was recently purified and the human and mouse TACE cDNAs were cloned by several groups separately. TACE is a membrane-bound metalloprotease-disintegrin in the family of mammalian ADAM (for a disintegrin and metalloprotease). TACE also processes other cell surface proteins, including...