The sensitivity of versican from rabbit lung to gelatinase A (MMP-2) and B(MMP-9) and its involvement in the development of hydraulic lung edema

Large chondroitinsulphate-containing proteoglycan (versican) isolated from rabbit lung was cleaved by purified gelatinase A (MMP-2) and gelatinase B ( MMP-9), as well as by crude enzyme extract from rabbit lung with hydraulic edema. Gelatine zymography, performed after purification of gelatinases by affinity chromatography, demonstrated that the enzyme extract contained two main gelatinolytic bands at about 92 kDa and 72 kDa, identified by specifi c antisera as the latent proMMP-9 and proMMP-2, respectively. Moreover, enz yme extract from edematous lung showed an increased amount of the proteolyt ically activated forms of both gelatinases with respect to normal controls. These results suggest that MMP-2 and MMP-9 are involved in the breakdown o f versican occurring in rabbit lung during the development of hydraulic ede ma. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.