The membrane-anchored metalloproteinase ADAM 17 (TNF-alpha converting enzyme; TACE; EC 3.4.24.86) continues to be an attractive drug target in inflammatory diseases and cancer. Cocrystallization of its catalytic domain with a lead compound was complicated by the tenacious retention of the prodomain that has been shown to be enhanced if ADAM 17 is expressed without the disintegrin/cysteine-rich domain that normally follows the N-terminal metallo proteinase. When a truncated form of ADAM17 composed of the signal peptide with the pro- and catalytic domains was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells, the major secreted product was a ternary complex of two prodomain fragments with the catalytic domain. The component polypeptides of the ternary complex were characterized by N-terminal analysis and mass spectrometry. Internal cleavage of the propeptide occurred following Arg-58, and a carboxypeptidase variably removed up to three basic residues from the newly created C-terminus. Cleavage at the C-terminus of the propeptide occurred after Arg-214. To prepare ADAM 17 for crystal growth, a drug-like inhibitor was used to displace the propeptide and the complex of the catalytic domain with the inhibitor was isolated by size-exclusion chromatography and crystallized. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.