Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.21.7 (plasmin)
 9,023 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Proteases function at every level in host defense, from regulating vascular hemostasis and inflammation to mobilizing the "rapid responder" leukocytes of the immune system by regulating the activities of various chemoattractants. Recent studies implicate proteolysis in the activation of a ubiquitous plasma chemoattractant, chemerin, a ligand for the G-protein-coupled receptor CMKLR1 present on plasmacytoid dendritic cells and macrophages. To define the pathophysiologic triggers of chemerin activity, we evaluated the ability of serum- and inflammation-associated proteases to cleave chemerin and stimulate CMKLR1-mediated chemotaxis. We showed that serine proteases factor XIIa and plasmin of the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascades, elastase and cathepsin G released from activated neutrophil granules and mast cell tryptase are all potent activators of chemerin. Activation results from cleavage of the labile carboxyl terminus of the chemoattractant at any of several different sites. Activation of chemerin by the serine protease cascades that trigger rapid defenses in the body may direct CMKLR1-positive plasmacytoid dendritic cell and tissue macrophage recruitment to sterile sites of tissue damage, as well as trafficking to sites of infectious and allergic inflammation.
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PMID:Chemerin activation by serine proteases of the coagulation, fibrinolytic, and inflammatory cascades. 1609 70

The serine-protease urokinase (uPA) and its specific membrane receptor uPAR controls matrix degradation through the conversion of plasminogen into plasmin and play a crucial role in a number of biological processes including local fibrinolysis, inflammation, angiogenesis, matrix remodelling during wound healing, tumor invasion and metastasis. Most of the cellular responses modulated by the uPA/uPAR system, including migration, cellular adhesion, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis require transmembrane signaling, which is mediated by direct contacts of uPAR with a variety of extracellular proteins and membrane receptors, such as integrins, EGF receptor, high molecular weight kininogen, caveolin and the G-protein-coupled receptor FPRL1. As a result of these interactions, uPAR activates intracellular signalling molecules such as tyrosine- and serine-protein kinases, Src, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Rac, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen- activated protein kinase (MAPK) and JAK/STAT, being part of a large "signalosome" interacting with several molecules on both the outside and inside of the cell. This review is focused on the biochemistry of the pathways affected by uPAR and its partners.
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PMID:The urokinase receptor as an entertainer of signal transduction. 1927 72