ADAMTS14
ADAMTS14 belongs to the procollagen N-proteinase subgroup that includes ADAMTS2 and ADAMTS3. The enzyme removes N-terminal propeptides from fibrillar procollagens, with documented activity toward type I and type II procollagen, thereby participating in collagen fibril maturation in cartilage and other load-bearing tissues. Expression is reported in fetal and adult cartilage, bone and related connective tissues, suggesting a role in skeletal matrix deposition. Compared with ADAMTS2, its physiological contribution is less completely defined, and recombinant ADAMTS14 is used chiefly for controlled procollagen-processing and collagen biology experiments. Its activation, like that of the other procollagen proteinases, is achieved through furin-mediated removal of the prodomain within the secretory pathway.
