Expression of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) on prostate cancer cell lines

Membrane-type metalloproteinase-1 (MT1-MMP) is a transmembrane metalloprote inase. which activates proMMP-2 and expressed on the cell surface in many i nvasive cancer cells. We investigated the expression of MT1-MMP in prostate cancer cell lines. MT1-MMP protein and mRNA were expressed in PC-3. DU-145 and TSU-pr1 cells (androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines), but i n LNCaP cells (androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line). MT1-MMP prote in was negative and mRNA was low to detect by RT-PCR. Cell lysate of PC-3 c leaved proMMP-2 to the active form. In addition, both hepatocyte growth fac tor (HGF) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) increased Matrigel invasion a nd induced the expression of MT1-MMP protein in DU-145 prostate cancer cell s. These results suggest that MT1-MMP is indeed the tumor-specific activato r of proMMP-2 in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells and plays an im portant role in the invasive properties of prostate cancer cells. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.