The alpha-macroglobulin (AM) superfamily of proteins contains both complement components and protease inhibitors, including A2M (MIM 103950) and A2ML1. AM proteins display a unique trap mechanism of inhibition, by which the AM inhibitor undergoes a major conformational change upon its cleavage by a protease, thus trapping the protease and blocking it from subsequent substrate binding (Galliano et al., 2006 [PubMed 16298998]).[supplied by OMIM]
