This gene encodes a member of a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) family of endoproteases that play important roles in various biological processes including cell signaling, adhesion and migration. The encoded preproprotein undergoes proteolytic processing to generate a mature, functional protein that localizes to the cell surface. About a third of the mice lacking the encoded protein die before weaning. Overexpression of the encoded protein in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy alleviates the muscle pathology by preventing cell necrosis and inflammation. [provided by RefSeq, May 2016]