[Frontiers in Bioscience 10, 353--366, January 1, 2005]
THE ROLE AND REGULATION OF THE UTERINE MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE SYSTEM IN MENSTRUATING AND NON-MENSTRUATING SPECIES
Xuan Zhang 1 and Warren B. Nothnick 1,2
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology1, Division of Basic and Clinical Women's Research and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology2, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas
FIGURES
Figure 1. Domain structure of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Each of the 25 vertebrae MMPs is categorized by domain structure. Abbreviations used: Pre = signal sequence, Pro = propeptide with a free.
Figure 2. The metalloproteinase system. Matrix metalloproteinase activity is regulated at the level of transcription (1), activation (2) and regulation at the tissue level by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs; 3). Once activated and left uninhibited, MMPs can either degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) inducing classical tissue remodeling or regulate numerous biological activities through the modulation of various cell signaling mechanisms.