ARTICLE

Production of Membrane-type Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MT-MMP-1) in Early Human Placenta: A Possible Role in Placental Implantation?

Correspondence to: Helena Autio-Harmainen, Dept. of Pathology, U. of Oulu, Kajaanintie 52 D, FIN-90220 Oulu, Finland.

The extracellular matrix proteolytic machinery is known to play a major role in trophoblast invasion, a process that shares similar features with the pathology of tumor invasion. In this study we investigated the expression of the recently described membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MT-MMP-1; MMP-14) in early human placenta and decidual membrane to determine whether it might play a role in invasion. With in situ hybridization, the cytotrophoblasts of trophoblastic columns and the infiltrating intermediate trophoblasts in the decidual membrane were found to be the main producers of MT-MMP-1 mRNA. Gene expression was also seen in the villous double-layered trophoblastic epithelium and in the decidual cells of the decidual membrane. In endothelial and fibroblastic cells, however, the hybridization signal was either very weak or nonexistent. Immunohistochemical analysis and immunoelectron microscopy correlated well with the in situ hybridization findings. The most significant exception to this consisted of pericytes of spiral arteries, which appeared to lack MT-MMP-1 mRNA but showed intensive intracytoplasmic staining for the antigen. Our results show that MT-MMP-1 mRNA production is highly characteristic of intermediate trophoblasts, and MT-MMP-1 may have general importance in the tissue organization of early human placenta. We propose that MT-MMP-1 could be one of the key enzymes in the process of trophoblast invasion, acting alone or as a cell-surface activator of other proteinases. (J Histochem Cytochem 46:221—229, 1998)

Key Words: MT-MMP-1, placenta, in situ hybridization, immunoelectron microscopy

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Plaisier, P. Koolwijk, F. Willems, F. M. Helmerhorst, and V. W.M. van Hinsbergh Pericellular-acting proteases in human first trimester decidua Mol. Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2008; 14(1): 41 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Ferretti, L. Bruni, V. Dangles-Marie, A.P. Pecking, and D. Bellet Molecular circuits shared by placental and cancer cells, and their implications in the proliferative, invasive and migratory capacities of trophoblasts Hum. Reprod. Update, March 1, 2007; 13(2): 121 - 141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-C. Lacroix, J. Guibourdenche, T. Fournier, I. Laurendeau, A. Igout, V. Goffin, J. Pantel, V. Tsatsaris, and D. Evain-Brion Stimulation of Human Trophoblast Invasion by Placental Growth Hormone Endocrinology, May 1, 2005; 146(5): 2434 - 2444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Qiu, S.-X. Bai, M.-r. Zhao, X.-q. Wu, Y.-G. Zhao, Q.-X. A. Sang, and Y.-L. Wang Spatio-Temporal Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-26 in Human Placental Trophoblasts and Fetal Red Cells During Normal Placentation Biol Reprod, April 1, 2005; 72(4): 954 - 959. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S X Bai, Y L Wang, L Qin, Z J Xiao, R Herva, and Y S Piao Dynamic expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, -9 and -14) and the tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMP-1, -2 and -3) at the implantation site during tubal pregnancy Reproduction, January 1, 2005; 129(1): 103 - 113. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q.-L. Li, S. A. Illman, H.-M. Wang, D.-L. Liu, J. Lohi, and C. Zhu Matrix metalloproteinase-28 transcript and protein are expressed in rhesus monkey placenta during early pregnancy Mol. Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2003; 9(4): 205 - 211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Hirata, T. Sato, M. Tsumagari, A. Shimada, H. Nakano, K. Hashizume, and A. Ito Differential Regulation of the Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases by Cytokines and Growth Factors in Bovine Endometrial Stromal Cells and Trophoblast Cell Line BT-1 In Vitro Biol Reprod, April 1, 2003; 68(4): 1276 - 1281. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Wang, Q. Li, L. Shao, and C. Zhu Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2, -9, -14, and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinase-1, -2, -3 in the Endometrium and Placenta of Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta) During Early Pregnancy Biol Reprod, July 1, 2001; 65(1): 31 - 40. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Xu, Y.-l. Wang, S.-j. Zhu, S.-y. Luo, Y.-s. Piao, and L.-z. Zhuang Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2, -9, and -14, Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinase-1, and Matrix Proteins in Human Placenta During the First Trimester Biol Reprod, April 1, 2000; 62(4): 988 - 994. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I Shih, T Wang, T Wu, R. Kurman, and J. Gearhart Expression of Mel-CAM in implantation site intermediate trophoblastic cell line, IST-1, limits its migration on uterine smooth muscle cells J. Cell Sci., January 9, 1998; 111(17): 2655 - 2664. [Abstract] [PDF]

Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact

The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry is owned, published, and licensed by The Histochemical Society © 1998