The ADAM family consists of transmembrane proteins that contain a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain. By virtue of these domains they have the potent for both cell adhesion and protease activities. Currently, the ADAM family has 29 membranes, although the function of most ADAM gene products is unknown. The ADAM gene products with known functions act in a highly diverse set of biological processes, including fertilization, neurogenesis, myogenesis, embryonic TGF-alpha release and the inflammatory response. [ ]