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Analyzing the protease web in skin: meprin metalloproteases are activated specifically by KLK4, 5 and 8 vice versa leading to processing of proKLK7 thereby triggering its activation

  • Anke Ohler , Mekdes Debela , Susanne Wagner , Viktor Magdolen and Christoph Becker-Pauly
Published/Copyright: June 18, 2011
Biological Chemistry
From the journal Volume 391 Issue 4

Abstract

The metalloproteases meprin α and β are expressed in several tissues, leukocytes, and cancer cells. In skin, meprins are located in separate layers of human epidermis indicating distinct physiological functions, supported by effects on cultured keratinocytes. Meprin β induces a dramatic change in cell morphology and a significant reduction in cell number, whereas in vitro evidence suggests a role for meprin α in basal keratinocyte proliferation. Meprins are secreted as zymogens that are activated by tryptic proteolytical processing. Here, we identify human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) 4, 5, and 8 to be specific activators of meprins. KLK5 is capable of activating both metalloproteases. Interestingly, KLK4 and 8 cleave off the propeptide of meprin β only, whereas in contrast plasmin exclusively transforms meprin α to its mature form. Moreover, we show that proKLK7 is processed by meprins. N-terminal sequencing revealed cleavage by meprin β two amino acids N-terminal to mature KLK7. Interestingly, this triggering led to an accelerated activation of the serine protease in the presence of trypsin, but not of other tryptic KLKs, such as KLK2, 4, 5, 8, or 11. In summary, we demonstrate a specific interaction between meprin metalloproteases and kallikrein-related peptidases, revealing possible interactions within the proteolytic web.


Corresponding author

Received: 2009-10-13
Accepted: 2009-11-9
Published Online: 2011-06-18
Published in Print: 2010-04-01

©2010 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Guest Editorial
  2. The 3rd International Symposium on Kallikreins and Kallikrein-Related Peptidases
  3. HIGHLIGHT: 3RD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON KALLIKREINS AND KALLIKREIN-RELATED PEPTIDASES
  4. Kallikrein-related peptidases: proteolysis and signaling in cancer, the new frontier
  5. Functional intersection of the kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) and thrombostasis axis
  6. Kallikrein-related peptidases: bridges between immune functions and extracellular matrix degradation
  7. Prostate-specific antigen: an overlooked candidate for the targeted treatment and selective imaging of prostate cancer
  8. Tissue kallikrein in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases and skin wound healing
  9. Natural and engineered kallikrein inhibitors: an emerging pharmacopoeia
  10. Klk8, a multifunctional protease in the brain and skin: analysis of knockout mice
  11. Functional proteomics of kallikrein-related peptidases in ovarian cancer ascites fluid
  12. Polyclonal antibodies against kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4): immunohistochemical assessment of KLK4 expression in healthy tissues and prostate cancer
  13. Immunohistochemical analysis of kallikrein-related peptidases in the normal kidney and renal tumors: potential clinical implications
  14. Dysregulation of kallikrein-related peptidases in renal cell carcinoma: potential targets of miRNAs
  15. Analysis of an engineered plasma kallikrein inhibitor and its effect on contact activation
  16. Increased blood pressure and water intake in transgenic mice expressing rat tonin in the brain
  17. A structural network associated with the kallikrein-kinin and renin-angiotensin systems
  18. Analyzing the protease web in skin: meprin metalloproteases are activated specifically by KLK4, 5 and 8 vice versa leading to processing of proKLK7 thereby triggering its activation
  19. Expression of PSA-RP2, an alternatively spliced variant from the PSA gene, is increased in prostate cancer tissues but the protein is not secreted from prostate cancer cells
  20. KLK5 gene expression is severely upregulated in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells after treatment with the chemotherapeutic agents docetaxel and mitoxantrone
  21. Identification of IGFBP-3 fragments generated by KLK2 and prevention of fragmentation by KLK2-inhibiting peptides
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