This cysteine rich domain is found in a variety of ADAMTS and ADAMTS-like endopeptidases widely spread in animals. It is a well-conserved cysteine-rich sequence containing 10 cysteine residues. ADAM-TS (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin Motifs) is closely related to the ADAM family (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase, pfam08516) and consists of at least 20 members sharing a high degree of sequence similarity and conserved domain organization. Members of the ADAMTS family have been implicated in a range of diseases.