White matter microglia produce membrane-type matrix metalloprotease, an activator of gelatinase A, in human brain tissues.
Membrane-type matrix metalloprotease (MT-MMP) is an activator of gelatinase A (MMP-2), which has previously been found in carcinoma cells. We examined non-neurological and Alzheimer's disease brain tissues for MT-MMP by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The anti-MT-MMP antibodies gave positive staining of brain microglial cells in all the brain tissues. Positively stained microglia were found only in the white matter. The cells producing MT-MMP protein were also shown to be white matter microglia. These results provide further evidence that activated gelatinase A, which may be a processing enzyme for degradation of beta-amyloid protein, may be produced in white matter microglia.
Yamada
T
T
Department of Neurology, Chiba University, Japan.
Yoshiyama
Y
Y
Sato
H
H
Seiki
M
M
Shinagawa
A
A
Takahashi
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017628:Microglia / Q000201:enzymology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
D018093:Gelatinases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2