Publisher Summary Certain cell-surface proteins can release their biologically active
extracellular domains to the pericellular milieu through limited proteolysis; however, the
broad recognition of this type of proteolysis as a general mechanism that regulates the
function of virtually all types of cell surface proteins has been relatively recent. Initially,
general terms such as “cleavage and release”,“processing”, or “cleavage-secretion” were
used by different authors. Currently, the most frequently used term to designate this type of …