title: Collagenase inhibitor concentration in cultured cervical tissue of sheep is increased in late pregnancy.
abstract: An inhibitor of collagenase was released from cultured cervical tissue of sheep and the amounts released were greatest from tissue in late pregnancy (145-146 days). The molecular weights of material with inhibitory activity, estimated by gel filtration of extracted inhibitor, at different stages of pregnancy were different, i.e. 20,000 from extracts of late-pregnant and post-partum samples and 29,000 from extracts of non-pregnant samples. Inhibitor from culture supernatants had a molecular weight of 42,000. We conclude that the inhibitor has binding characteristics and molecular weights similar to those of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Manchester University, U.K.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Raynes
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dobson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000378:metabolism; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D003012:Microbial Collagenase