title: Immunological characterization of cell-surface and soluble forms of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase in human breast cancer cells and in fibroblasts.
abstract: Membrane type (MT) 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activates progelatinase A (pro-MMP-2), a type IV collagenase, on the cell surface of tumors; however, its function in breast cancer progression and metastasis is not fully understood. To examine the expression of MT1-MMP in breast cancer cells and fibroblasts, a specific rabbit antibody (Ab) directed against a unique synthetic peptide derived from the human MT1-MMP catalytic domain was produced, purified, and characterized. This Ab is not likely to cross-react with MT2-, MT3-, or MT4-MMP or any other MMPs. MT1-MMP expression and pro-MMP-2 activation were stimulated by concanavalin A in two human breast carcinoma cell lines (BT549 and MDA-MB-231) and in normal human fetal-lung fibroblasts (HFL-1) and were slightly upregulated by breast cancer cell-fibroblast interactions. Both pro-MT1-MMP in plasma membrane (63.4 kDa) and the soluble forms of the enzyme in culture medium (57.6 and 25-30 kDa) were detected by immunoblot analysis, suggesting that cell-surface MT1-MMP exhibits an active conformation without the removal of its propeptide domain and that the mature enzyme is shed into the medium. In breast cancer cells, MT1-MMP and a recombinant catalytic domain of MT1-MMP were unable to activate pro-matrilysin, indicating that MT1-MMP is not a universal activator of all MMPs. MT1-MMP may play an important role in the invasive growth and spread of breast cancer cells by specifically activating pro-MMP-2 to cleave the connective-tissue barrier. Furthermore, use of the specific Ab may aid in the investigation of the role of MT1-MMP in human tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306-4390, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bauzon
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tschesche
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Q A
authors.initials: QA
authors.lastname: Sang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology*; D018093:Gelatinases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D053504:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012995:Solubility; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D018093:Gelatinases; D053504:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Membrane-Associated; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C069860:progelatinase; C099583:promatrilysin