Membrane-associated procollagenase of leukemic cells is activated by urokinase-type plasminogen activator.
Murine leukemic cells from the WEHI-3B line, present in the cell surface a latent collagenase activity which is activated proteolytically. In this paper we show that this enzyme is activated by plasmin generated by the activity of a urokinase-like plasminogen activator (u-PA) also present in the surface of these cells. Using a reverse fibrin autography method we found that u-PA is the major proteolytic activity present in the cell membranes. This fact suggests that u-PA could represent a normal activating system for this collagenase.
Santibañez
J F
JF
Unidad de Biología Celular, INTA, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
Martínez
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental; D051379:Mice; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D010958:Plasminogen; D005341:Fibrinolysin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D017364:Collagenases; C022440:procollagenase