Enterococci account for nearly 10% of all nosocomial infections and constitute a significant treatment challenge due to their multidrug resistance properties. One of the well-studied virulence factors of Enterococcus faecalis is a secreted bacterial protease, termed gelatinase, which has been shown to contribute to the process of biofilm formation. Gelatinase belongs to the M4 family of bacteri...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Evidence is accumulating that gelatinase B (MMP-9) might be involved in the pathogenesis of meningitis, but the spectrum of different MMPs involved in the inflammatory reaction of this disease has not been determined. We investigated the temporal and spatial mRNA e...

1. The increase in bacteria, phage concentration, and gelatinase concentration in cultures of B. megatherium has been determined. 2. With lysogenic cultures the phage concentration, gelatinase concentration, and bacteria concentration increase logarithmically at first. The phage and gelatinase concentration then decrease while the bacteria concentration increases to a maximum. 3. The results ar...

Monocyte-derived foam cells figure prominently in rupture-prone regions of atherosclerotic plaques. Peripheral blood monocytes in culture can produce certain enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix, known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Lipid-laden macrophages may thus contribute to weakening of extracellular matrix of rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques. However, the spectrum and regu...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Abnormal expression of some matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) has shown to play a deleterious role in brain injury in experimental models of cerebral ischemia. We aimed to investigate MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) in brain parenchyma in both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. METHODS Postmortem fresh brain tissue from 6 ischemic and 8 hemorrhagic stroke pat...

The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine organ that secretes progesterone to support pregnancy. The CL is formed from an ovulated follicle in a process that involves extensive angiogenesis and tissue remodeling. If fertilization does not occur or implantation is unsuccessful, the CL will undergo regression, which involves extensive tissue degradation. Extracellular proteases, such as ser...