Yh. Wang et al., Catalytic activities and substrate specificity of the human membrane type 4 matrix metalloproteinase catalytic domain, J BIOL CHEM, 274(46), 1999, pp. 33043-33049
Membrane type (MT) matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are recently recognized
members of the family of Zn2+- and Ca2+-dependent MMPs. To investigate the
proteolytic capabilities of human MT4-MMP (i.e. MMP-17), we have cloned DN
A encoding its catalytic domain (CD) from a breast carcinoma cDNA library.
Human membrane type 4 MMP CD (MT4-MMPCD) protein, expressed as inclusion bo
dies in Escherichia coli, was purified to homogeneity and refolded in the p
resence of Zn2+ and Ca2+. While MT4-MMPCD cleaved synthetic MMP substrates
Ac-PLG-[2-mercapto-4-methylpentanoyl]-LG-OEt and Mca-PLGL-Dpa-AR-NH2 with m
odest efficiency, it catalyzed with much higher efficiency the hydrolysis o
f a pro-tumor necrosis factor-ct converting enzyme synthetic substrate; Mca
-PLAQAV-DpaR-SSSR-NH2. Catalytic efficiency with the pro-tumor necrosis fac
tor-a: converting enzyme substrate was maximal at pH 7.4 and was modulated
by three ionizable enzyme groups (pK(a3) = 6.2, pK(a2) = 8.3, and pK(a1) =
10.6). MT4-MMPCD cleaved gelatin but was inactive toward type I collagen, t
ype IV collagen, fibronectin, and laminin. Like all known MT-MMPs, MT4-MMPC
D was also able to activate 72-kDa progelatinase A to its 68-kDa form. EDTA
, 1,10-phenanthroline, reference hydroxamic acid MMP inhibitors, tissue inh
ibitor of metalloproteinases-l, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-
a all potently blocked MT4-MMPCD enzymatic activity. MT4-MMP is, therefore,
a competent Zn2+-dependent MMP with unique specificity among synthetic sub
strates and the capability to both degrade gelatin and activate progelatina
se A.