ADAMTS20
ADAMTS20 is the close paralog of ADAMTS9 and is famous through pigmentation genetics: mutations in the mouse Adamts20 gene underlie the classic belted coat-color mutant, in which melanocyte survival is compromised and a characteristic white band appears on the trunk. The enzyme cleaves versican and other hyalectan proteoglycans, and versican-rich matrices are critical for melanoblast migration and survival, explaining how impaired proteoglycan processing produces the depigmentation. Expression is reported in skin, brain and other tissues, and recombinant ADAMTS20 is applied in melanocyte biology and proteoglycan research. Studies in zebrafish and mice further support a role in melanoblast development, and the closest relative ADAMTS9 shares the capacity to process hyalectan proteoglycans.
