Summary
To investigate a potential physiological role of the plasminogen/ plasmin system in
activation of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system, the distribution of latent
and active MMP-2 (gelatinase A) or MMP-9 (gelatinase B) was monitored in aorta extracts
and in serum-free conditioned cell culture medium obtained from wild-type (WT) mice
and from mice with deficiency of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA–/–), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA–/–), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1–/–) or plasminogen (Plg–/–).
In aorta extracts, the contribution of active MMP-2 to the total MMP-2 level ranged
between 7 and 16% for the different genotypes, whereas active MMP-9 was not detected.
The contribution of active 58 kDa MMP-2 to the total MMP-2 level (active plus latent)
ranged between 14 and 29% (mean of 3 experiments) for fibroblasts of the different
genotypes, and between 18 and 32% for smooth muscle cells, and was relatively constant
in time (7-72 h). The contribution of active 83 kDa MMP-9 to the total MMP-9 level
ranged between 15 and 29% for fibroblasts of the different genotypes and was relatively
constant in time (24-72 h); corresponding values were 17 to 57% for smooth muscle
cells, with the exception of Plg–/– smooth muscle cells which had undetectable levels of active MMP-9. Addition of plasmin(ogen)
to the cell culture medium of fibroblasts did not significantly affect the distribution
of active and latent MMP-2, but resulted in an approximately two-fold enhancement
of the contribution of active MMP-9. In macrophages of Plg–/– mice, active MMP-9 was detected only when the cells were cultured in the presence
of plasminogen.
These data indicate that activation of proMMP-2 occurs independently of the physiological
plasminogen activators and of plasmin(ogen) in all the cell types evaluated. Activation
of proMMP-9 was enhanced in the presence of plasmin(ogen), but active MMP-9 was also
detected in fibroblasts of Plg–/– mice, indicating that in vivo activation may occur via plasmin(ogen)-independent mechanisms.