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Janice Perry Evans - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • lack of tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase 2 activity results in altered sperm egg interactions and loss of adam3 and adam6 in epididymal sperm
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011
    Co-Authors: Matthew R Marcello, Kevin L Moore, Julie A Leary, Weitao Jia, Janice Perry Evans
    Abstract:

    Tyrosine O-sulfation is a post-translational modification catalyzed by two tyrosylprotein sulfotransferases (TPST-1 and TPST-2) in the trans-Golgi network. Tpst2-deficient mice have male infertility, sperm motility defects, and possible abnormalities in sperm-egg membrane interactions. Studies here show that compared with wild-type sperm, fewer Tpst2-null sperm bind to the egg membrane, but more of these bound sperm progress to membrane fusion. Similar outcomes were observed with wild-type sperm treated with the anti-sulfotyrosine antibody PSG2. The increased extent of sperm-egg fusion is not due to a failure of Tpst2-null sperm to trigger establishment of the egg membrane block to polyspermy. Anti-sulfotyrosine staining of sperm showed localization similar to that of IZUMO1, a sperm protein that is essential for gamete fusion, but we detected little to no tyrosine sulfation of IZUMO1 and found that IZUMO1 expression and localization were normal in Tpst2-null sperm. Turning to a discovery-driven approach, we used mass spectrometry to characterize sperm proteins that associated with PSG2. This identified ADAM6, a member of the A disintegrin and A metalloprotease (ADAM) family; members of this protein family are associated with multiple sperm functions. Subsequent studies revealed that Tpst2-null sperm lack ADAM6 and ADAM3. Loss of ADAM3 is strongly associated with male infertility and is observed in knockouts of male germ line-specific endoplasmic reticulum-resident chaperones, raising the possibility that TPST-2 may function in quality control in the secretory pathway. These data suggest that TPST-2-mediated tyrosine O-sulfation participates in regulating the sperm surface proteome or membrane order, ultimately affecting male fertility.

  • multivariate analysis of male reproductive function in inpp5b mice reveals heterogeneity in defects in fertility sperm egg membrane interaction and proteolytic cleavage of sperm adams
    Molecular Human Reproduction, 2010
    Co-Authors: Matthew R Marcello, Janice Perry Evans
    Abstract:

    Past work indicated that sperm from mice deficient in the inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase Inpp5b have reduced ability to fertilize eggs in vitro and reduced epididymal proteolytic processing of the sperm protein A Disintegrin and A Metalloprotease 2 (ADAM2). On the basis of these data, our central working hypothesis was that reduced ADAM cleavage would correlate with reduced sperm -egg binding and fusion and in turn with reduced male fertility in Inpp5b 2/2 mice. Multiple endpoints of reproductive functions (mating trials, in vitro fertilization (IVF) assays and ADAM2 and ADAM3 cleavage) were investigated on a male-by-male basis, with pair-wise correlation analysis used to assess the relationships between these various parameters. Motile sperm from Inpp5b 2/2 mice showed significantly reduced fertilization of zona pellucida-free eggs due to reduced binding to the egg plasma membrane and subsequent fusion. Localization of a mouse sperm protein required for gamete fusion, IZUMO1, appears normal in Inpp5b-null sperm. To our surprise and differing from previous reports, we found that ADAM cleavage was only modestly impaired in numerous Inpp5b-null males and varied between indi- vidual animals. Performance in mating trials also differed from past reports. The pair-wise correlation analysis revealed that ADAM2 and ADAM3 cleavage was positively correlated, suggesting that processing of these proteins occurs by related/identical mechanisms, but other- wise, there were few correlations between the reproductive endpoints examined here. Nevertheless, this work provides detailed analysis of the Inpp5b 2/2 phenotype and also a blueprint for multivariate analysis to examine relationships between molecular characteristics and in vitro and in vivo physiological functions.

  • Fertilin β and other ADAMs as integrin ligands: insights into cell adhesion and fertilization
    BioEssays, 2001
    Co-Authors: Janice Perry Evans
    Abstract:

    One of the most important cell-cell interactions is that of the sperm with the egg. This interaction, which begins with cell adhesion and culminates with membrane fusion, is mediated by multiple molecules on the gametes. One of the best-characterized of these molecules is fertilin beta, a ligand on mammalian sperm and one of the first ADAMs (A Disintegrin and A Metalloprotease domain) to be identified. Fertilin beta (also known as ADAM2) participates in sperm-egg membrane binding, and it has long been hypothesized that this function is achieved through the interaction of the disintegrin domain of fertilin beta with an integrin on the egg surface. There are now approximately 30 members of the ADAM family and, to date, five different ADAMs (fertilin beta, ADAM9, ADAM12, ADAM15, ADAM23) have been described to interact with integrins (specifically alpha(6)beta(1), alpha(v)beta(3), alpha(9)beta(1), alpha(v)beta(5), and/or alpha(5)beta(1)). This field will be discussed with respect to what is known about specific ADAMs and the integrins with which they interact, and what the implications are for sperm-egg interactions and for integrin function. These data will also be discussed in the context of recent knockout studies, which show that eggs lacking the alpha(6) integrin subunit can be fertilized, and eggs lacking the integrin-associated tetraspanin protein CD9 fail to fertilize. Key issues in cell adhesion that pertain to gametes and fertilization will also be highlighted.

Carl P. Blobel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Characterization of the catalytic properties of the membrane-anchored metalloproteinase ADAM9 in cell-based assays
    Portland Press Ltd., 2017
    Co-Authors: Thorsten Maretzky, Steven Swendeman, Gisela Weskamp, Umut Sahin, Karina Reiss, Elin Mogollon, Carl P. Blobel
    Abstract:

    ADAM9 (A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 9) is a membrane-anchored metalloproteinase that has been implicated in pathological retinal neovascularization and in tumor progression. ADAM9 has constitutive catalytic activity in both biochemical and cell-based assays and can cleave several membrane proteins, including epidermal growth factor and Ephrin receptor B4; yet little is currently known about the catalytic properties of ADAM9 and its post-translational regulation and inhibitor profile in cell-based assays. To address this question, we monitored processing of the membrane-anchored Ephrin receptor B4 (EphB4) by co-expressing ADAM9, with the catalytically inactive ADAM9 E > A mutant serving as a negative control. We found that ADAM9-dependent shedding of EphB4 was not stimulated by three commonly employed activators of ADAM-dependent ectodomain shedding: phorbol esters, pervanadate or calcium ionophores. With respect to the inhibitor profile, we found that ADAM9 was inhibited by the hydroxamate-based metalloprotease inhibitors marimastat, TAPI-2, BB94, GM6001 and GW280264X, and by 10 nM of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-3, but not by up to 20 nM of TIMP-1 or -2. Additionally, we screened a non-hydroxamate small-molecule library for novel ADAM9 inhibitors and identified four compounds that selectively inhibited ADAM9-dependent proteolysis over ADAM10- or ADAM17-dependent processing. Taken together, the present study provides new information about the molecular fingerprint of ADAM9 in cell-based assays by showing that it is not stimulated by strong activators of ectodomain shedding and by defining a characteristic inhibitor profile. The identification of novel non-hydroxamate inhibitors of ADAM9 could provide the basis for designing more selective compounds that block the contribution of ADAM9 to pathological neovascularization and cancer.

  • the functional maturation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase adam 9 10 and 17 requires processing at a newly identified proprotein convertase pc cleavage site
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2015
    Co-Authors: Eitan Wong, Carl P. Blobel, Thorsten Maretzky, Yoav Peleg, Irit Sagi
    Abstract:

    Abstract Proenzyme maturation is a general mechanism to control the activation of enzymes. Catalytically active members of the A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease (ADAM) family of membrane-anchored metalloproteases are synthesized as proenzymes, in which the latency is maintained by their autoinhibitory pro-domains. A proteolytic processing then transforms the proenzyme into a catalytically active form. The removal of the pro-domain of ADAMs is currently thought to depend on processing at a canonical consensus site for the proprotein convertase Furin (RXXR) between the pro- and the catalytic domain. Here, we demonstrate that this previously described canonical site is a secondary cleavage site to a prerequisite cleavage in a newly characterized upstream PC site embedded within the pro-domain sequence. The novel upstream regulatory site is important for the maturation of several ADAM proenzymes. Mutations in the upstream regulatory site of ADAM17, ADAM10, and ADAM9 do not prevent pro-domain processing between the pro- and metalloprotease domain, but nevertheless, cause significantly reduced catalytic activity. Thus, our results have uncovered a novel functionally relevant PC processing site in the N-terminal part of the pro-domain that is important for the activation of these ADAMs. These results suggest that the novel PC site is part of a general mechanism underlying proenzyme maturation of ADAMs that is independent of processing at the previously identified canonical Furin cleavage site.

  • shedding of collagen xvii bp180 in skin depends on both adam10 and ADAM9
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2009
    Co-Authors: Leena Brucknertuderman, Clauswerner Franzke, Carl P. Blobel
    Abstract:

    Collagen XVII is a transmembrane collagen and the major autoantigen of the autoimmune skin blistering disease bullous pemphigoid. Collagen XVII is proteolytically released from the membrane, and the pathogenic epitope harbors the cleavage site for its ectodomain shedding, suggesting that proteolysis has an important role in regulating the function of collagen XVII in skin homeostasis. Previous studies identified ADAMs 9, 10, and 17 as candidate collagen XVII sheddases and suggested that ADAM17 is a major sheddase. Here we show that ADAM17 only indirectly affects collagen XVII shedding and that ADAMs 9 and 10 are the most prominent collagen XVII sheddases in primary keratinocytes because (a) collagen XVII shedding was not stimulated by phorbol esters, known activators of ADAM17, (b) constitutive and calcium influx-stimulated shedding was sensitive to the ADAM10-selective inhibitor GI254023X and was strongly reduced in Adam10−/− cells, (c) there was a 55% decrease in constitutive collagen XVII ectodomain shedding from ADAM9−/− keratinocytes, and (d) H2O2 enhanced ADAM9 expression and stimulated collagen XVII shedding in skin and keratinocytes of wild type mice but not of ADAM9−/− mice. We conclude that ADAM9 and ADAM10 can both contribute to collagen XVII shedding in skin with an enhanced relative contribution of ADAM9 in the presence of reactive oxygen species. These results provide critical new insights into the identity and regulation of the major sheddases for collagen XVII in keratinocytes and skin and have implications for the treatment of blistering diseases of the skin.

  • ADAM9 Is Involved in Pathological Retinal Neovascularization
    Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2009
    Co-Authors: Victor H. Guaiquil, Steven Swendeman, Tsunehiko Yoshida, Sai Chavala, Peter A. Campochiaro, Carl P. Blobel
    Abstract:

    Ocular neovascularization is one of the leading causes of blindness in humans and is found in diverse eye diseases including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy of prematurity (3, 4, 6). In addition, pathological neovascularization also has critical roles in other diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis (12, 14). Although proteins with crucial functions in pathological neovascularization are considered to be important targets for the treatment of tumor growth (5), proliferative retinopathies (19), and rheumatoid arthritis (12), much remains to be learned about the identity of these molecules and the mechanisms underlying their function. In this study, we focused on the contribution of a disintegrin and metalloprotease, ADAM9, to pathological neovascularization. ADAM9, one of the first ADAM proteins to be identified and characterized, is a membrane-anchored metalloproteinase containing an N-terminal prodomain followed by a metalloprotease domain, a disintegrin domain and cysteine-rich region, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeat, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail with potential SH3 ligand domains (25). ADAM9 is catalytically active in both biochemical and cell-based assays and can cleave several membrane proteins including EGF and FGFR2iiib when it is overexpressed together with these substrates (10, 15, 16). In addition, ADAM9 is thought to participate in cell-cell interactions by binding to integrins (13, 30). Mice lacking ADAM9 have no evident major abnormalities during development or adult life (24) but show reduced levels of tumorigenesis in a mouse model for prostate cancer (15). In the current study, we evaluated whether ADAM9 contributes to pathological neovascularization using a mouse model for retinopathy of prematurity, the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model, as well as a model of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Moreover, we determined how the lack of ADAM9 affects the growth of heterotopically injected tumor cells in mice. Finally, we assessed whether overexpressed ADAM9 can process substrate proteins with known roles in angiogenesis and tested whether the catalytic activity of endogenous ADAM9 is regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell-based assays, as ROS upregulate the expression of ADAM9 (20, 22) and are known to play important roles in pathological retinal neovascularization (9, 27).

  • evaluation of the contributions of adams 9 12 15 17 and 19 to heart development and ectodomain shedding of neuregulins β1 and β2
    Developmental Biology, 2005
    Co-Authors: Keisuke Horiuchi, Kristine Kelly, Hong-ming Zhou, Katia Manova, Carl P. Blobel
    Abstract:

    Abstract Defects in heart development are the most common congenital abnormalities in humans, providing a strong incentive to learn more about the underlying causes. Previous studies have implicated the metalloprotease-disintegrins ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) 17 and 19 as well as heparin binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and neuregulins in heart development in mice. Here, we show that mice lacking both ADAMs 17 and 19 have exacerbated defects in heart development compared to mice lacking either ADAM, providing the first evidence for redundant or compensatory functions of ADAMs in development. Moreover, we identified additional compensatory or redundant roles of ADAMs 9 and 19 in morphogenesis of the mitral valve and cardiac outflow tract. Cell biological studies designed to address the functions of these ADAMs in shedding of HB-EGF uncovered a contribution of ADAM19 to this process, but this was only evident in the absence of the major HB-EGF sheddase, ADAM17. In addition, ADAM17 emerged as the major sheddase for neuregulins β1 and β2 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results raise the possibility that ADAMs 9, 17, and 19 contribute to heart development in humans and have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying congenital heart disease.

Ruiyong Yuan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a role for the disintegrin domain of cyritestin a sperm surface protein belonging to the adam family in mouse sperm egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion
    Journal of Cell Biology, 1997
    Co-Authors: Ruiyong Yuan
    Abstract:

    Sperm–egg plasma membrane fusion is preceded by sperm adhesion to the egg plasma membrane. Cell–cell adhesion frequently involves multiple adhesion molecules on the adhering cells. One sperm surface protein with a role in sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion is fertilin, a transmembrane heterodimer (α and β subunits). Fertilin α and β are the first identified members of a new family of membrane proteins that each has the following domains: pro-, metalloprotease, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, EGF-like, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domain. This protein family has been named ADAM because all members contain a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain. Previous studies indicate that the disintegrin domain of fertilin β functions in sperm–egg adhesion leading to fusion. Full length cDNA clones have been isolated for five ADAMs expressed in mouse testis: fertilin α, fertilin β, cyritestin, ADAM 4, and ADAM 5. The presence of the disintegrin domain, a known integrin ligand, suggests that like fertilin β, other testis ADAMs could be involved in sperm adhesion to the egg membrane. We tested peptide mimetics from the predicted binding sites in the disintegrin domains of the five testis-expressed ADAMs in a sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion assay. The active site peptide from cyritestin strongly inhibited (80–90%) sperm adhesion and fusion and was a more potent inhibitor than the fertilin β active site peptide. Antibodies generated against the active site region of either cyritestin or fertilin β also strongly inhibited (80–90%) both sperm–egg adhesion and fusion. Characterization of these two ADAM family members showed that they are both processed during sperm maturation and present on mature sperm. Indirect immunofluorescence on live, acrosome-reacted sperm using antibodies against either cyritestin or fertilin β showed staining of the equatorial region, a region of the sperm membrane that participates in the early steps of membrane fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that a second ADAM family member, cyritestin, functions with fertilin β in sperm–egg plasma membrane adhesion leading to fusion.

  • a role for the disintegrin domain of cyritestin a sperm surface protein belonging to the adam family in mouse sperm egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion
    Journal of Cell Biology, 1997
    Co-Authors: Ruiyong Yuan, Paul Primakoff, Diana G Myles
    Abstract:

    Sperm-egg plasma membrane fusion is preceded by sperm adhesion to the egg plasma membrane. Cell-cell adhesion frequently involves multiple adhesion molecules on the adhering cells. One sperm surface protein with a role in sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion is fertilin, a transmembrane heterodimer (alpha and beta subunits). Fertilin alpha and beta are the first identified members of a new family of membrane proteins that each has the following domains: pro-, metalloprotease, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, EGF-like, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domain. This protein family has been named ADAM because all members contain a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain. Previous studies indicate that the disintegrin domain of fertilin beta functions in sperm-egg adhesion leading to fusion. Full length cDNA clones have been isolated for five ADAMs expressed in mouse testis: fertilin alpha, fertilin beta, cyritestin, ADAM 4, and ADAM 5. The presence of the disintegrin domain, a known integrin ligand, suggests that like fertilin beta, other testis ADAMs could be involved in sperm adhesion to the egg membrane. We tested peptide mimetics from the predicted binding sites in the disintegrin domains of the five testis-expressed ADAMs in a sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion assay. The active site peptide from cyritestin strongly inhibited (80-90%) sperm adhesion and fusion and was a more potent inhibitor than the fertilin beta active site peptide. Antibodies generated against the active site region of either cyritestin or fertilin beta also strongly inhibited (80-90%) both sperm-egg adhesion and fusion. Characterization of these two ADAM family members showed that they are both processed during sperm maturation and present on mature sperm. Indirect immunofluorescence on live, acrosome-reacted sperm using antibodies against either cyritestin or fertilin beta showed staining of the equatorial region, a region of the sperm membrane that participates in the early steps of membrane fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that a second ADAM family member, cyritestin, functions with fertilin beta in sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion leading to fusion.

Diana G Myles - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a role for the disintegrin domain of cyritestin a sperm surface protein belonging to the adam family in mouse sperm egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion
    Journal of Cell Biology, 1997
    Co-Authors: Ruiyong Yuan, Paul Primakoff, Diana G Myles
    Abstract:

    Sperm-egg plasma membrane fusion is preceded by sperm adhesion to the egg plasma membrane. Cell-cell adhesion frequently involves multiple adhesion molecules on the adhering cells. One sperm surface protein with a role in sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion is fertilin, a transmembrane heterodimer (alpha and beta subunits). Fertilin alpha and beta are the first identified members of a new family of membrane proteins that each has the following domains: pro-, metalloprotease, disintegrin, cysteine-rich, EGF-like, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domain. This protein family has been named ADAM because all members contain a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain. Previous studies indicate that the disintegrin domain of fertilin beta functions in sperm-egg adhesion leading to fusion. Full length cDNA clones have been isolated for five ADAMs expressed in mouse testis: fertilin alpha, fertilin beta, cyritestin, ADAM 4, and ADAM 5. The presence of the disintegrin domain, a known integrin ligand, suggests that like fertilin beta, other testis ADAMs could be involved in sperm adhesion to the egg membrane. We tested peptide mimetics from the predicted binding sites in the disintegrin domains of the five testis-expressed ADAMs in a sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion and fusion assay. The active site peptide from cyritestin strongly inhibited (80-90%) sperm adhesion and fusion and was a more potent inhibitor than the fertilin beta active site peptide. Antibodies generated against the active site region of either cyritestin or fertilin beta also strongly inhibited (80-90%) both sperm-egg adhesion and fusion. Characterization of these two ADAM family members showed that they are both processed during sperm maturation and present on mature sperm. Indirect immunofluorescence on live, acrosome-reacted sperm using antibodies against either cyritestin or fertilin beta showed staining of the equatorial region, a region of the sperm membrane that participates in the early steps of membrane fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that a second ADAM family member, cyritestin, functions with fertilin beta in sperm-egg plasma membrane adhesion leading to fusion.

Shoichi Ishiura - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • adams a disintegrin and metalloproteinases mediate shedding of oxytocinase
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2004
    Co-Authors: Norio Ito, Shoichi Ishiura, Seiji Nomura, Akira Iwase, Tomomi Ito, Fumitaka Kikkawa, Masafumi Tsujimoto, Shigehiko Mizutani
    Abstract:

    Abstract Placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP), a type-II transmembrane protease responsible for oxytocin degradation during pregnancy, is converted to a soluble form through proteolytic cleavage. The goal of this study was to determine the nature of the P-LAP secretase activity. The hydroxamic acid-based metalloprotease inhibitors GM6001 and ONO-4817 as well as the TNF-α protease inhibitor-2 (TAPI-2) reduced P-LAP release, while tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2, which are matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, had no effect on P-LAP release in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably overexpressing P-LAP, thus indicating possible involvement of ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) members in P-LAP shedding. Furthermore, overexpression of ADAM9 and ADAM12 increased P-LAP release in P-LAP-CHO transfectants. Immunohistochemical analysis in human placenta demonstrated strong expression of ADAM12 in syncytiotrophoblasts, while little expression of ADAM9 was detected throughout the placenta. Our results suggest ADAM members, at least including ADAM12, are involved in P-LAP shedding in human placenta.

  • putative function of ADAM9 adam10 and adam17 as app secretase
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2003
    Co-Authors: Masashi Asai, Chinatsu Hattori, Beata Szabo, Noboru Sasagawa, Kei Maruyama, Seiichi Tanuma, Shoichi Ishiura
    Abstract:

    Abstract The putative α-secretase cleaves the amyloid precursor protein (APP) of Alzheimer’s disease in the middle of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) domain. It is generally thought that the α-secretase pathway mitigates Aβ formation in the normal brain. Several studies have suggested that ADAM9, ADAM10, and ADAM17 are candidate α-secretases belonging to the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) family, which are membrane-anchored cell surface proteins. In this comparative study of ADAM9, ADAM10, and ADAM17, we examined the physiological role of ADAMs by expressing these ADAMs in COS-7 cells, and both “constitutive” and “regulated” α-secretase activities of these ADAMs were determined. We tried to suppress the expression of these ADAMs in human glioblastoma A172 cells, which contain large amounts of endogenous α-secretase, by lipofection of the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) encoding each of these ADAMs. The results indicate that ADAM9, ADAM10, and ADAM17 catalyze α-secretory cleavage and therefore act as α-secretases in A172 cells. This is the first report that to suggest the endogenous α-secretase is composed of several ADAM enzymes.

  • a secreted form of human ADAM9 has an α secretase activity for app
    Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2002
    Co-Authors: Nika Hotoda, Noboru Sasagawa, Hisashi Koike, Shoichi Ishiura
    Abstract:

    Abstract ADAM9 (MDC9, meltrin γ) is a member of the ADAM family of metalloproteases, which play important roles in cell–cell fusion, intracellular signaling, and other cellular functions. Here we cloned a novel form of human ADAM9, designated hADAM9s (s for short), which lacks the carboxyl-terminus. Human ADAM9s was found to be secreted from transfected COS cells. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the mRNA for hADAM9s is expressed in human brain, liver, heart, kidney, lung, and trachea. When hADAM9s was co-expressed in COS cells with APP and treated with phorbol ester, the APP was digested exclusively at the α-secretory site. These results suggest that hADAM9s has an α-secretase-like activity for APP. Non-amyloidgenic cleavage of APP may occur at the plasma membrane. Our new results support a new therapeutic strategy to decrease in the Aβ content by directly activating ADAM9 in the extracellular space.