Degradation of glycoprotein and collagenous components of the basement membrane: studies with urokinase-type plasminogen activator, alpha-thrombin, and plasmin.
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R Brundage
Publications and source records attributed to R Brundage.
Polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration through human amnion membrane.
A new in vitro model has been developed for studying migration of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) through living native cellular and matrix barriers. Human amnion membrane consists of a single layer of epithelium bound to a continuous basement membrane interfacing an avascular collagenous stroma. Living amnion was placed in plastic chambers with separate compartments on each side of the membrane. PMN were introduced on the epithelial side of the amnion, and a Millipore filter (Millipore Corp., Bedford, Mass.) was placed against the stromal side. In response to N-formylmethionyl-leucyl- phenylanlanine (FMLP) chemoattractant, PMN penetrated the full thickness of the amnion and were collected and counted on the filter. The rate of PMN traversal of the amnion was dependent on the concentration of FMLP (optimal at 10(-8)M) as well as the slope of the FMLP gradient across the amnion. The route of PMN migration was studied by transmission electron microscopy. PMN first attached to the epithelial surface, then infiltrated between intercellular junctions. PMN migrated around or through tight junction and hemidesmosome attachments. The PMN then penetrated the basement membrane and migrated through the dense collagenous stroma. The present amnion migration system has characteristics of the in vivo inflammatory state not described in any previous method for monitoring PMN migration in vitro. Prior methods have not used native epithelium, whole basement membrane, or collagenous stroma. PMN penetration of these barriers occurs in the normal inflammatory response and probably involves biochemical mechanisms not required for simple migration through the pores of an artificial filter. The amnion system can be useful for future biochemical and morphological studies of PMN penetration of these barriers and possible repair processes that may follow.
Amnion↗
Effect of plasminogen activator (urokinase), plasmin, and thrombin on glycoprotein and collagenous components of basement membrane.
Tumor cells traverse basement membranes (BM) during the stages of the metastatic process. Penetration of the BM may involve proteolysis by enzymes directly or indirectly associated with tumor cells. This study evaluated the role of the serine proteases urokinase (plasminogen activator), plasmin, and another regulatory protease, alpha-thrombin, in the degradation of the BM. Homogeneously pure enzyme preparations were incubated with isolated components of BM and with whole human amnion BM. The BM components consisted of acid-extracted type IV collagen, pepsin fragments of collagen type IV, laminin, and fibronectin. Collagen type V (alpha A alpha B) associated with the peri-BM zone was also studied. The purity of the enzymes was verified by gel electrophoresis and inhibitor studies. Digestion of the BM components was performed at 25 degrees using matched activity for the different enzymes. Urokinase failed to significantly degrade fibronectin or any of the other BM components. Under the same 25 degrees (native) conditions, plasmin and thrombin cleaved fibronectin and laminin into multiple specific fragments but did not produce a major cleavage of acid-extracted type IV collagen, pepsinized type IV collagen, or alpha A alpha B (type V) collagade fibronectin or any of the other BM components. Under the same 25 degrees (native) conditions, plasmin and thrombin cleaved fibronectin and laminin into multiple specific fragments but did not produce a major cleavage of acid-extracted type IV collagen, pepsinized type IV collagen, or alpha A alpha B (type V) collagade fibronectin or any of the other BM components. Under the same 25 degrees (native) conditions, plasmin and thrombin cleaved fibronectin and laminin into multiple specific fragments but did not produce a major cleavage of acid-extracted type IV collagen, pepsinized type IV collagen, or alpha A alpha B (type V) collagen. alpha-Thrombn selectively degraded only the m.w. 400,000 chain of laminin, whereas plasmin degraded both the laminin chains. Digestion of laminin by the serine proteases was time and concentration dependent, as verified by a new degradation assay using [14C]laminin. A variety of normal and neoplastic cells were tested for the presence of laminin-degrading proteases. macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and metastatic tumor cells contained a significant laminin-degarding activity. The activity was enhanced by the addition of plasminogen. Type V collagen was cleaved by thrombin and plasmin at 35 degrees but not at temperatures below 33 degrees. Following treatment of whole-amnion BM with any of these enzymes, electron microscopy demonstrated preservation of the lamina densa. Immunohistology studies indicated that laminin, but not type IV collagen, was removed from the whole BM by plasmin treatment. The results suggest that these BM components are poor substrates for plasminogen activators and that plasmin alone is not sufficient to completely degrade the whole BM...
Amnion↗