Evaluation of a Triple-Helical Peptide with Quenched Fluorophores for Optical Imaging of MMP-2 and MMP-9 Proteolytic Activity

Molecules

Xuan Zhang¹  Jamee Bresee¹  Philip P. Cheney⁴  Baogang Xu³  Manishabrata Bhowmick²  Mare Cudic²  Gregg B. Fields² 

[1] Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; E-Mails:;Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, 11350 SW Village Parkway, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, USA; E-Mails:;Department of Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63110, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2);    MMP-9;    gelatinase;    triple-helical peptides;    optical imaging;    fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT);   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules19068571

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9, the gelatinases, have consistently been associated with tumor progression. The development of gelatinase-specific probes will be critical for identifying in vivo gelatinoic activity to understand the molecular role of the gelatinases in tumor development. Recently, a self-assembling homotrimeric triple-helical peptide (THP), incorporating a sequence from type V collagen, with high substrate specificity to the gelatinases has been developed. To determine whether this THP would be suitable for imaging protease activity, 5-carboxyfluorescein (5FAM) was conjugated, resulting in 5FAM₃-THP and 5FAM₆-THP, which were quenched up to 50%. 5FAM₆-THP hydrolysis by MMP-2 and MMP-9 displayed k_cat/K_M values of 1.5 × 10⁴ and 5.4 × 10³ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively. Additionally 5FAM₆-THP visualized gelatinase activity in gelatinase positive HT-1080 cells, but not in gelatinase negative MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the fluorescence in the HT-1080 cells was greatly attenuated by the addition of a MMP-2 and MMP-9 inhibitor, SB-3CT, indicating that the observed fluorescence release was mediated by gelatinase proteolysis and not non-specific proteolysis of the THPs. These results demonstrate that THPs fully substituted with fluorophores maintain their substrate specificity to the gelatinases in human cancer cells and may be useful in in vivo molecular imaging of gelatinase activity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.