This gene encodes a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease domain) family. Members of this family are membrane-anchored proteins structurally related to snake venom disintegrins, and have been implicated in a variety of biological processes involving cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, including fertilization, muscle development, and neurogenesis. The protein encoded by this gene is highly expressed in testis and may be involved in human spermatogenesis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants that encode the same protein. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].