ADAMTSL5 belongs to a large superfamily containing 20 ADAMTS proteases and at least eight ADAMTS-like proteins. ADAMTS proteases are secreted enzymes with a conserved organization that includes a metalloprotease domain and an ancillary domain containing one or more thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSR). The ADAMTS-like subfamily comprises proteins homologous to the ADAMTS ancillary domains but lacking the protease domain and hence lacking catalytic activity. The exact role of ADAMTSL5 is currently unknown, but other ADAMTS-like proteins appear to have regulatory roles in the extracellular matrix.