IDENTIFICATION OF MMP-18, A PUTATIVE NOVEL HUMAN MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE

A partial cDNA encoding the 3' end of a putative novel human matrix me talloproteinase (MMP) was identified by sequence similarity searching of databases containing expressed sequence tags. The remaining 5' end of the MMP cDNA was amplified by PCR from human mammary gland cDNA. Th e predicted protein product displays all the structural features chara cteristic of the MMP family and has closest identity with MMP-1, -3, - 10, and 11. We have provisionally designated this novel MMP as MMP-18. MMP-18 mRNA is expressed in a wide variety of normal human tissues, i ncluding mammary gland, placenta, lung, pancreas, ovary, small intesti ne, spleen, thymus, prostate, testis, colon, and heart, but is not det ected in brain, skeletal muscle, kidney, liver, or peripheral blood le ucocytes. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.