title: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is synthesized in neurons of the human hippocampus and is capable of degrading the amyloid-beta peptide (1-40).
abstract: We reported earlier that the levels of Ca2+-dependent metalloproteinases are increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) specimens, relative to control specimens. Here we show that these enzymes are forms of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9 (EC3.4.24. 35) and are expressed in the human hippocampus. Affinity-purified antibodies to MMP-9 labeled pyramidal neurons, but not granular neurons or glial cells. MMP-9 mRNA is expressed in pyramidal neurons, as determined with digoxigenin-labeled MMP-9 riboprobes, and the presence of this mRNA is confirmed with reverse transcriptase PCR. The cellular distribution of MMP-9 is altered in AD because 76% of the total 100 kDa enzyme activity is found in the soluble fraction of control specimens, whereas only 51% is detectable in the same fraction from AD specimens. The accumulated 100 kDa enzyme from AD brain is latent and can be converted to an active form with aminophenylmercuric acetate. MMP-9 also is detected in close proximity to extracellular amyloid plaques. Because a major constituent of plaques is the 4 kDa beta-amyloid peptide, synthetic Abeta1-40 was incubated with activated MMP-9. The enzyme cleaves the peptide at several sites, predominantly at Leu34-Met35 within the membrane-spanning domain. These results establish that neurons have the capacity to synthesize MMP-9, which, on activation, may degrade extracellular substrates such as beta-amyloid. Because the latent form of MMP-9 accumulates in AD brain, it is hypothesized that the lack of enzyme activation contributes to the accumulation of insoluble beta-amyloid peptides in plaques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Backstrom
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Tökés
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C078592:amyloid beta-protein (1-40); D017364:Collagenases; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9