Overview of assays to study Matrix Metalloproteinases

Matrix metalloproteinases are a class of enzymes that play an important role in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in development and cancer metastasis. This unit describes a set of methods of cell-mediated dissolution of type-1 collagen fibrils, direct and reverse zymography, enzyme capture based on 2-macroglobulin and TIMP-1 and -2, and demonstration of cryptic thiol groups in metalloproteinase precursors-?that are used to characterize the functions of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 40:10.8.1-10.8.23. ? 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.