Co-operation between metastatic tumor cells and macrophages in the degradation of basement membrane (type IV) collagen.
The co-culture of mouse peritoneal macrophages and Lewis lung carcinoma cells induces the release of a metal-dependent type IV collagen-degrading proteinase which is not produced in detectable amounts by either cell type cultivated alone. Conditioned media of the co-cultures degrade both pepsin-extracted type IV collagen from human placenta and mouse type IV procollagen. Thus macrophages can interact with tumor cells to degrade basement membrane type IV collagen: this might be of importance to allow cancer invasion and metastasis.
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D010920:Placenta
D003094:Collagen