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)

In the initial stages of capillary formation (angiogenesis) microvascular endothelial cells of preexisting blood vessels locally degrade the underlying basal lamina and invade into the stroma of the tissue to be vascularized. A consistent body of experimental evidence has shown that this process requires a wide array of dedradative enzymes. Components of the plasminogen activator (PA)-plasmin system and of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family play important roles. PAs trigger a proteinase cascade that results is the generation of high local concentrations of plasmin and active MMPs. This increase in proteolytic activity has three major consequences: it permits endothelial cell degradation and invasion of the vessel basal lamina, generates extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation products that are chemotactic for endothelial cells, and activates and mobilizes growth factors localized in the ECM. In addition, urokinase-type PA modulates some endothelial cell functions, including proliferation and migration, with a mechanism independent of proteolytic activity. PA and MMP activities are modulated in endothelial cells by complex mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation by a variety of growth factors and cytokines with angiogenic activity, extracellular control of the proteolytic activities by tissue inhibitors, and interaction with binding sites on the cell membrane and ECM.
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PMID:Plasminogen activators and matrix metalloproteinases in angiogenesis. 879 2

Vascular pathophysiology at the sites of bacterial infection and cancerous tissues share numerous common events similar to inflammatory tissue. Among them enhanced vascular permeability is the universal and hallmark event mediated by bradykinin. All 16 or more bacterial or fungal proteases we have examined activated one or more steps of the kinin generating Hageman-factor-kallikrein cascade. In the meantime, most of the microbial proteases rapidly inactivated various plasma inhibitors such as alpha 1-protease inhibitor and alpha 2-macroglobulin. In addition to the extracellular proteases, bacterial cell wall components (negatively charged LPS) of gram-negative bacteria and teichoic acid moieties of gram-positive bacteria activate the Hageman-factor-kallikrein system and exert hypotensive effects via kinin generation. Endotoxin (LPS) also induces nitric oxide synthase (NOS) which appears to exhibit a rather slow, but significant, effect in relaxing the vascular tone of the infected animal (thus hypotension). Furthermore, bacterial proteases can activate the matrix metalloproteinase (collagenase) resulting in exacerbation of tissue injury in the diseased animal. Many tumor cells or tissues excrete plasminogen activator, and hence activate plasminogen. The plasmin thus generated activates procollagenases, as well as the Hageman-factor-kallikrein system, resulting in pronounced extravasation. Fluid accumulation in pleural and ascitic carcinomatoses is largely due to the activated bradykinin-generating system. We can also demonstrate and control enhanced vascular permeability using kallikrein inhibitors, especially the polymer-conjugated soybean trypsin inhibitor which exhibits a prolonged plasma t1/2, kinin antagonists, NOS inhibitors, NO scavengers, inhibitors of prostaglandins and others. Bacterial proteases induce shock in mice which can be prevented by the soybean trypsin inhibitor by blocking the kallikrein-kinin cascade. Therapeutic use of kinin antagonists and a kallikrein inhibitor has been made for infectious diseases such as septicemia and in tumor pathology.
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PMID:Bradykinin and nitric oxide in infectious disease and cancer. 885 54

Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) generates plasmin, a process inhibited by plasminogen-activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and localized to the cell surface by binding of uPA to a specific receptor. Plasmin degrades extracellular matrix (ECM) both directly and by activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Because stellate cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis both via production of ECM proteins and through secretion of MMPs, their contribution to plasmin generation was assessed. Stellate cells were prepared from rat liver and cultured on plastic. Northern analysis showed cellular expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) for PAI-1, uPA, and uPA receptor. Zymography/reverse zymography identified cell-surface-associated uPA activity and uPA and PAI-1 in culture media. Net uPA activity in culture media was maximal after 7 days in culture and then declined, whereas PAI-1 antigen levels remained consistently elevated between 7 and 21 days in culture. Stellate cell-mediated plasmin generation was also seen in in vitro cultures supplemented with plasminogen. Because hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contain retinoids and release them on activation, the effect of retinoic acid on the plasminogen-activating system was also assessed. Treatment of cultured HSCs with retinoic acid (1 micromol/L) increased uPA secretion 2.6-fold but did not alter PAI-1. We conclude that stellate cells synthesize key components of the plasminogen-activating system and generate plasmin and therefore have the ability to regulate MMP activation. Upregulation of uPA synthesis by retinoic acid may have implications in matrix remodeling in sites of stellate cell activation in which high concentrations of retinoids may be achieved.
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PMID:The plasminogen-activating system in hepatic stellate cells. 890 94

Numerous data strongly suggest the involvement of cytokines and the matrix metalloproteinase collagenase (MMP-1) in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. Recently, we have demonstrated that, upon culturing under the influence of IL-1 alpha + EGF, a large amount of inactive procollagenase (MMP-1) is stored in the extracellular matrix of periosteal tissue. We now show that this endogenous reservoir of proenzyme can be operative after activation with plasmin and is able to induce a rapid and almost complete breakdown of the collagenous extracellular matrix. The level of collagen degradation following activation showed a strong correlation with the amount of proenzyme that was incorporated in the tissue. The highest level of degradation (70% of the total amount of collagenous proteins) was found with the IL-1 alpha + EGF-treated explants, followed by those treated with IL-1 alpha alone (35%). Explants cultured with EGF or in the absence of cytokines, containing only small amounts of procollagenase, showed little collagen breakdown following plasmin activation (7%). Inhibition of metalloproteinases by EDTA, or blockage of plasmin by PMSF, prevented the degradation in all explants irrespective of the amount of proenzyme present in the tissue. Our findings demonstrate that endogenous proenzyme stored in a native connective tissue matrix can be activated at a later time interval which results in a massive breakdown of the tissue. This study shows a possible pathway of collagenase-induced breakdown without recent de novo synthesis of the enzyme. Such a sequence may be operative in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as periodontitis, where production of procollagenase under the influence of cytokines spans a longer time period, whereas breakdown is often characterized by a cyclic behaviour.
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PMID:Cytokine-induced endogenous procollagenase stored in the extracellular matrix of soft connective tissue results in a burst of collagen breakdown following its activation. 891 51

We studied the temporal expression of interstitial collagenase, stromelysin-1 and -2, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) mRNAs by in situ hybridization in eight patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. To induce blisters, 50% potassium iodide patch tests were performed, and serial biopsy specimens were taken at 4, 12, and 24 h. Additional samples were taken from occasional spontaneous blisters. Components of the basement membrane, laminin-5, laminin-1, and type VII collagen, were examined immunohistochemically in relation to matrix metalloproteinase expression. At 12 h, when no blisters were seen, uPA mRNA was present in basal keratinocytes in five of eight samples, whereas interstitial collagenase and stromelysin-1 mRNA were not detected. At this time, immunohistochemistry failed to show changes in the basement membrane. At 24 h, uPA, collagenase, and stromelysin-1 mRNAs were present in basal keratinocytes, suggesting an activation of latent forms of the two latter enzymes by the uPA-plasmin pathway. Signal for stromelysin-2 was not detected. Furthermore, disruptions of laminin-1 and type VII collagen were evident. The data suggest that stromelysin-1 and interstitial collagenase may contribute to the degradation of basement membrane in dermatitis herpetiformis. Intracellular staining for laminin-5 co-localized with collagenase mRNA in basal keratinocytes. Because laminin-5 is essential for adhesion of keratinocytes to basement membrane and for establishment of focal adhesions on migrating cells, its production may reflect a regenerative response after the destruction of basement membrane components.
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PMID:Urokinase plasminogen activator is expressed by basal keratinocytes before interstitial collagenase, stromelysin-1, and laminin-5 in experimentally induced dermatitis herpetiformis lesions. 898 Feb 78

Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) was suggested to play a critical role in the regulation of tissue invasion by normal and neoplastic cells by directly mediating the activation of pro-gelatinase A. Recently, the proteolytic activation of a pro-MT1-MMP by an intracellular proprotein convertase, furin, was reported. In this study, we found that plasmin efficiently activates the pro-MT1-MMP by cleaving immediately downstream of Arg108 and Arg111 in the multi-basic motif between its pro- and catalytic domains that participates in the activation of pro-gelatinase A. Our present data suggest that pro-MT1-MMP transported to the plasma membrane is activated by plasmin extracellularly and thus it may play an important role in the matrix degradation process.
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PMID:Proteolytic activation of the precursor of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase by human plasmin. A possible cell surface activator. 903 91

We describe a new principle for assessment of the activity of proteolytic enzymes of all classes and show the application of this principle for the quantitative assay of bacterial collagenase and human matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Central to this new principle is the presence of a proenzyme that can be activated into an active enzyme by a single proteolytic event. The regular activation sequence in the proenzyme is replaced using protein engineering by an artificial sequence recognized by the proteinase to be determined. The latter can act as an activator for the newly engineered proenzyme. In the present paper a simple colorimetric assay for the determination for MMPs is described based on this principle. With the aid of protein engineering, a modified pro-urokinase has been prepared in which the activation sequence normally recognized by plasmin (Pro-Arg-Phe-Lys upward arrowIle-Ile-Gly-Gly) has been replaced by a sequence expected to be recognized and hydrolysed by many MMPs (Arg-Pro-Leu-Gly upward arrowIle-Ile-Gly-Gly). The active urokinase resulting from activation of the modified pro-urokinase by a MMP could be measured either directly, using a specific chromogenic peptide substrate for urokinase, or indirectly via urokinase-catalysed plasminogen activation. The response of the assay to equal molar quantities of active MMPs decreases in the order MMP-2>MMP-9>MMP-1>MMP-3>MMP-7. The detection limit for MMP-9 was below 15 pM, corresponding to 3. 75x10(-15) mol per assay. Using the assay, increased MMP activity was detected in synovial tissue extracts from rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with those from osteoarthritis patients, and in stomach tumour extracts as compared with normal stomach tissue extracts.
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PMID:Modified proenzymes as artificial substrates for proteolytic enzymes: colorimetric assay of bacterial collagenase and matrix metalloproteinase activity using modified pro-urokinase. 916 91

Angiostatin is one of the most potent inhibitors of angiogenesis. Reports have shown that metalloelastase, pancreas elastase, plasmin reductase, and plasmin convert plasminogen to angiostatin. However, the cleavage sites of plasminogen by those enzymes have not been determined. Here we demonstrate that two members of the human matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, matrilysin (MMP-7) and gelatinase B/type IV collagenase (MMP-9), hydrolyze human plasminogen to generate angiostatin fragments. The cleavage sites have been determined. The 58-kDa bands derived from plasminogen by MMP-7 and MMP-9 both have the N-terminal sequence KVYLSEXKTG, which corresponds to that of angiostatin. This N terminus is identical to that of the starting plasminogen itself and corresponds to residues 97-106 of prepro-plasminogen. The 42- and 38-kDa bands generated by MMP-7 both have the N-terminal sequence VVLLPNVETP, which corresponds to the amino acid sequence 467-476 of prepro-plasminogen, between kringle domain 4 and 5. MMP-9 cleaves plasminogen to generate a 42-kDa fragment with the N-terminal sequence PVVLLPNVE, 1 residue upstream of the MMP-7 cleavage site. These results indicate that MMP-7 and MMP-9 may regulate new blood vessel formation by cleaving plasminogen and generating angiostatin molecules.
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PMID:Angiostatin-converting enzyme activities of human matrilysin (MMP-7) and gelatinase B/type IV collagenase (MMP-9). 936 Sep 44

The initial site of melanoma cell metastasis is frequently the regional lymph nodes, and the appearance of lymph node metastasis correlates with poor prognosis. Lymph node adhesion is mediated by an interaction between the tumor cell integrin alphavbeta3 and lymph node vitronectin. In this study, we explored the relationship between adhesion and proteolysis by examining the direct effect of vitronectin receptor ligation on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) production by B16F1 and B16F10 melanoma cells. We report a dose-dependent increase in secretion of both MMP-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) in response to vitronectin. Cellular invasiveness was also enhanced by vitronectin, as shown by the increased ability of vitronectin-treated cells to invade a synthetic basement membrane (Matrigel). Both the vitronectin-induced MMP-2 production and vitronectin-enhanced invasion were blocked by the peptide ligand Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS). Furthermore, neither plasmin-degraded vitronectin nor the peptide ligand RGDS stimulated MMP-2 secretion or invasiveness, indicating that a multivalent ligand-receptor interaction rather than simple receptor occupancy was required for MMP-2 induction. MMP-2 and MMP-2/TIMP-2 interaction with the plasma membrane of melanoma cells resulted in enhanced catalytic activity against 14C-labeled gelatin, suggesting that membrane association may function in posttranslational regulation of MMP-2 activity. This is supported by data showing increased cellular invasion by cells containing membrane-bound MMP-2. Binding of proMMP-2 and proMMP-2/TIMP-2 to melanoma cells was not inhibited by RGDS, and melanoma cell adhesion to vitronectin was unaffected by pro- or active MMP-2, indicating that MMP-2 did not interact with the murine vitronectin receptor. Together, these data provide evidence for a functional link between adhesion and proteolysis and suggest a potential mechanism whereby adhesion of an invasive cell to the extracellular matrix regulates subsequent invasive behavior.
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PMID:Intact vitronectin induces matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 expression and enhanced cellular invasion by melanoma cells. 941 58

We attempted to study the possible relationships between neutrophil-type procollagenase/pro-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-8) and the serine proteinases plasmin, cathepsin G and tryptase in bronchiectasis. The presence of the plasmin/plasminogen system and plasmin-, cathepsin G- and tryptase-like activities were compared to the activity of endogenously activated MMP-8 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in 38 bronchiectasis patients and in 14 healthy controls by means of immunohistochemistry, Western-blot and substrate-based functional assays. In contrast to cathepsin G- and tryptase-like activities, the plasmin/plasminogen activator system in BAL fluid was observed to have a relatively weak activation stage and no correlation with disease severity. Neither plasmin-like activities nor concentrations of plasminogen activators from the bronchiectatic patients differed significantly from the values of healthy controls. Immunolocation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 showed a marked, but not significant, increase in bronchiectatic lung as compared to controls. In contrast to cathepsin G- and tryptase-like activities, with their strong and significant correlation with endogenously activated collagenase (r=0.9; p=0.0001; and r=0.6; p=0.03, respectively), no correlations were observed between plasmin-like and endogenously activated collagenase (r=0.3; p=0.2) in bronchiectasis. These findings suggest that cathepsin G- and tryptase-like activities may act as potent pro-matrix metalloproteinase-8 activators in patients with bronchiectasis, whereas the plasminogen activator/plasmin cascade was shown to be down-regulated.
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PMID:Potentiative effects of neutral proteinases in an inflamed lung: relationship of neutrophil procollagenase (proMMP-8) to plasmin, cathepsin G and tryptase in bronchiectasis in vivo. 949 62


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