Intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes begins after lysis of the primary vacuole formed upon bacterial entry into a host cell. Listeriolysin O (LLO), a pore-forming hemolysin encoded by hly, is essential for vacuolar lysis in most cell types. However, in human epithelial cells, LLO- mutants are capable of growth, suggesting that gene products other than LLO are capable of mediating esca...

In previous studies we characterized the Burkholderia cenocepacia ZmpA zinc metalloprotease. In this study, we determined that B. cenocepacia has an additional metalloprotease, which we designated ZmpB. The zmpB gene is present in the same species as zmpA and was detected in B. cepacia, B. cenocepacia, B. stabilis, B. ambifaria, and B. pyrrocinia but was absent from B. multivorans, B. vietnamie...

ADAMTS13 modulates von Willebrand factor (VWF) platelet-tethering function by proteolysis of the Tyr1605-Met1606 bond in the VWF A2 domain. To examine the role of the metalloprotease domain of ADAMTS13 in scissile bond specificity, we identified 3 variable regions (VR1, -2, and -3) in the ADAMTS family metalloprotease domain that flank the active site, which might be important for specificity. ...

We have developed 22 mouse IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Bacteroides fragilis zinc metalloprotease toxins 1 and 2 (BFT1 and BFT2). Mice were immunized with recombinant BFT1 or BFT2 proteins with metalloprotease activity. Eight of the mAbs bind specifically to BFT1. One mAb, 2H6, binds specifically to BFT2. The remaining 13 mAbs bind to both BFT1 and BFT2. The eight BFT1-specific mAb...

Extracellular products (ECPs) of the pathogenic Vibrio aestuarianus 01/32 were previously reported to display lethality in Crassostrea gigas oysters and to cause morphological changes and immunosuppression in oyster hemocytes. To identify the source of this toxicity, biochemical and genetic approaches were developed. ECP protease activity and lethality were shown to be significantly reduced fol...

Snake venoms contain four classes of metalloproteases that all have a typical zinc-chelating sequence (HEXXHGXXH). N-terminal sequences and internal sequences of different purified metalloproteases were determined using Edman sequencing and LC MS/MS technique. Oligonucleotides were designed and used as primers for cDNA cloning from Vipera lebetina venom gland cDNA library. We found that isoform...

Blood–Brain Barrier In article number 2100812 by Smriti Singh, Agnieszka Morgenroth, and co-workers, Matrix metalloprotease (MMP) sensitive nanogels are synthesized for effective delivery of a radiopharmaceutical ([125I]ITdU) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The show efficient transcytosis in vitro model BBB co-cultured with glioblastoma cells. Once transcytosed, degrade an up-regulated MM...

La púrpura trombótica trombocitopénica (PTT) es una microangiopatía poco frecuente, que se caracteriza por anemia hemolítica y plaquetopenia, con elevada morbimortalidad. Su forma más frecuente la PTT inmune, también denominada adquirida, provocada deficiencia de enzima disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif 13 (ADAMTS13) secundaria a presencia en plasma autoantic...

Women are more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries than men performing similar athletic activities. Because tissue remodeling may affect ligament strength, we assessed expression of tissue remodeling effector genes in the human ACL. Specifically, we surveyed ACL for RNAs encoding all known matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (TIMPs) by r...