PURPOSE The role of exoproteins in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis was investigated in three animal models by assessing the relationship between corneal virulence and the activities of exotoxin A, elastase, alkaline protease, and an uncharacterized protease, protease IV. METHODS The four Pseudomonal strains tested included a prototype strain (ATCC 27853) producing exotoxi...

The appearance of electrophoretically separable isozyme patterns is specific both to type of tissue and to its stage of development (Markert & Moller, 1959). In abnormally developing embryonic systems there are alterations in the time of initial appearance and the persistence of isozymes from a variety of metabolic areas (Johnson & Spinuzzi, 1966, 1968). In malformed embryos from folic-aciddefi...

PURPOSE Human endonucleases are integral to apoptosis in which unwanted or potentially harmful cells are eliminated. The rapid turnover of ocular surface epithelium and microbial colonization of the eyelids are continual sources of DNA in tears. Here, we determine the principal sources of endonuclease activity in tears. METHODS Endonucleases in human tears were identified after Sephadex G100 ...

Collagenase levels are regulated in a cell type-specific manner by a variety of growth factors and cytokines, and increased type IV collagenase activity in tumor cells has been linked to metastatic growth. In this study we compare the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) on gelatinase production in cervical epithelial cell lines. EGF is a s...

The expression of metalloproteinases, such as type IV collagenase/gelatinase, enables tumor cells to degrade type IV collagen present in the basement membrane and correlates with metastatic potential of several tumor types. We found that increased levels of rat serum type IV collagenolytic activity are associated with increased 13762NF mammary adenocarcinoma metastases in lungs and lymph nodes ...

Preeclampsia is a common pregnancy complication in the latter half of gestation diagnosed by hypertension and proteinuria. A key feature of preeclampsia is an altered placentation with reduced trophoblast invasion. Normal placentation requires controlled invasion of trophoblasts into the maternal uterine wall, with secretion of specific proteolytic enzymes able to degrade basement membranes and...

When the chlorophyte alga Dunaliella tertiolecta is placed in darkness, a form of programmed cell death with many similarities to apoptosis (including the induction of caspase-like proteases) is induced. Many uncertainties about this process remain, two of which are whether it requires protein synthesis and whether there is potential viral involvement. In order to examine the relationship betwe...

BACKGROUND Endovascular injury induced by balloon withdrawal leads to the increased activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the vascular wall, allowing smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to digest the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) and migrate from the media into the intima. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a replication-deficient adenovirus carrying the cDNA ...

Recombinant human Acid Alpha Glucosidase (GAA) is the therapeutic enzyme used for the treatment of Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder characterized by GAA deficiency in the cell lysosomes (Raben et al., Curr Mol Med. 2002; 2:145-166). The manufacturing process for GAA can be challenging, in part due to protease degradation. The overall goal of this study was to understand the effects of GAA...

A method for culturing explants of lamellar hoof was developed to investigate the process of lamellar separation that occurs in laminitis. Explants, consisting of hoof wall, dermal and epidermal lamellae and the adjacent sub-lamellar connective tissue remained intact when cultured in tissue culture medium for 2 days. However, when cultured in the presence of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) a...