title: Assays of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities: a review.
abstract: Measurement of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity often remains a challenge, mainly in complex media. Two sets of methods are currently used. The first one measures the hydrolysis of natural protein substrates (labeled or not) and includes the popular zymography. These techniques which are quite sensitive, cannot generally be carried out on a continuous basis. The second one takes mainly advantage of the increase of fluorescence, which is associated to the hydrolysis of initially quenched fluorogenic peptide substrates. Quite recently, another group, which is a compromise between the other two, has been developed. It measures the hydrolysis of synthetic triple-helical peptide substrates. These different methods are described and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biochimie analytique et synthèse bioorganique, UFR Chimie-Biochimie, Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombard
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saulnier
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wallach
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases