ADAMTS-1 cleaves a cartilage proteoglycan, aggrecan

A disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type I motifs- 1 (ADAMTS-1) is an extracellular matrix-anchored metalloproteinase. In this study we have demonstrated that ADAMTS-1 is able to cleave a major cartila ge proteoglycan, aggrecan, N-terminal sequencing analysis of the cleavage p roduct revealed that ADAMTS-1 cleaves the Glu(1871)-Leu(1872) bond within t he chondroitin sulfate attachment domain of aggrecan, In addition, deletion al analysis demonstrated that the C-terminal spacer region of ADAMTS-1 is n ecessary to degrade aggrecan, These results suggest that ADAMTS-1 may be in volved in the turnover of aggrecan in vivo. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies, Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.