Porcine Collagenase from Synovial Fibroblasts: cDNA Sequence and Modulation of Expression of RNA In Vitro by Various Cytokines

Collagenase is a metalloproteinase that is important in extracellular matrix turnover and is produced by synovial fibroblasts in response to various cytokines and growth factors. Porcine collagenase cDNA was cloned and the sequence shows a 469-amino acid (AA) peptide with high homology to the human and rabbit enzyme (84% and 83.4% respectively). Predicted amino acid sequence from position #99-114 agree well with previously obtained NH2-terminal AA sequence data of purified mature, active pig collagenase. Using the cloned porcine cDNA as a probe in Northern analysis, it was found that IL-1, TNF and EGF enhanced 24-hour steady state mRNA levels while TGF-beta inhibited basal expression of collagenase. When added 10 hours previously, TGF-beta partially inhibited the induction of collagenase by TNF and EGF, but did not affect induction by IL-1.