DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES AND THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL INHIBITORS IN ACUTE MURINE SKIN WOUNDS

Metalloproteinase-mediated proteolysis plays an important role during all stages of wound repair. In acute murine wounds, murine collagenase , matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, stromelysin-1, stromelysin-2 and t issue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 are strongly induced wit hin 24 h after wounding. At the time of reepithelialization the expres sion of these gene transcripts has declined more or less completely. E ach gene shows a unique spatial and temporal transcription pattern.