PROTEOLYTIC PROCESSING OF VON WILLEBRAND FACTOR BY ADAMTS13 AND LEUKOCYTE PROTEASES
ADAMTS13 is a 190 kDa zinc protease encoded by a gene located on chromosome 9q34.This protease specifically hydrolyzes von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers, thus causing VWF size reduction.ADAMTS13 belongs to the A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin type 1 repeats (ADAMTS) family, involved in proteolytic processing of many matrix