G. Scicolone et al., DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN OF PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR ACTIVITY IN CHICK BRAIN HEMISPHERES, Neurochemical research, 23(9), 1998, pp. 1185-1190
Plasminogen activators play key roles in several developmental events.
Ln previous works we demonstrated the existence of typical developmen
tal patterns of protease activity in the chick optic lobe and cerebell
um. The aim of this work is to study the temporal pattern of developme
nt of plasminogen activator activity in the brain hemispheres. Plasmin
ogen activator activity was assayed in soluble fractions derived by ul
tracentrifugation from Triton X-100 treated membrane fractions by usin
g a radial fibrinolytic assay. Employing different inhibitors and anti
-plasminogen activators antibodies we showed that developing brain hem
ispheres express only one type of enzyme which corresponds to the urok
inase-type. Other results indicate that the protease activity displays
a temporal pattern which completely differs from those of general par
ameters of development. This suggests that the plasminogen activator a
ctivity is developmentally regulated and could display specific functi
ons during particular stages of development.