This gene encodes a member of the ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) protein family. Members of the family share several distinct protein modules, including a propeptide region, a metalloproteinase domain, a disintegrin-like domain, and a thrombospondin type 1 (TS) motif. Individual members of this family differ in the number of C-terminal TS motifs, and some have unique C-terminal domains. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate the mature protease. This protease, a member of the procollagen aminopropeptidase subfamily of proteins, may play a role in the processing of type II fibrillar collagen in articular cartilage. [provided by RefSeq, Feb 2016],