title: Modulation of cell-associated plasminogen activation by stromelysin-1 (MMP-3).
abstract: Stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) cleaves a 55 kDa kringle 1-4 fragment, containing the lysine-binding site(s) involved in cellular binding, from 92 kDa plasminogen and removes a 17 kDa NH2-terminal fragment, containing the cellular receptor-binding site, from 45 kDa urokinase (u-PA), but a potential role of MMP-3 in the regulation of cellular fibrinolytic activity by affecting binding and/or activation of plasminogen and/or single-chain u-PA has not been established. Human plasminogen (input concentration 100 nM for 4x10(6) cells per ml) was shown to bind specifically to human monocytoid THP-1 cells, to murine MMP-3 deficient smooth muscle cells (SMC) and fibroblasts (1.9, 0.92 and 1.0x10(6) molecules per cell, respectively). Treatment with MMP-3 (final concentration 0-50 nM) of cells saturated with bound plasminogen (about 25 nM), overnight at 37 degrees C, resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of the amount of u-PA activatable plasminogen (reduction to 25-40% of the value in the absence of MMP-3). Immunoblotting with specific monoclonal antibodies and autoradiography of eluates of the cells treated with MMP-3 revealed cleavage of plasminogen into the 55 kDa fragment and miniplasminogen (kringle 5 plus the proteinase domain). Binding of human single chain u-PA (scu-PA) to human THP-1 and HT 1080 cells amounted to 2.5x10(6) and 7.1x10(6) molecules per cell, respectively. Treatment with MMP-3 (final concentration 0-25 nM) of cell-bound u-PA (about 17 nM for THP-1 and 47 nM for HT1080 cells), overnight at 37 degrees C, did not alter cell-associated u-PA activity, measured in a direct chromogenic substrate assay or in a plasminogen-coupled chromogenic substrate assay (residual u-PA activity always > or =85% of that without MMP-3 treatment). Autoradiography of 125I-labeled u-PA moieties, removed from the cells by treatment with acid or with phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C, confirmed that u-PA remained essentially intact after MMP-3 treatment. These data indicate that MMP-3 may downregulate cell-associated plasmin activity by decreasing the amount of activatible plasminogen, without affecting cell-bound u-PA activity.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ugwu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collen
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Lijnen
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000378:metabolism; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010958:Plasminogen; D005341:Fibrinolysin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3