Degradation of tropoelastin by proteases

✍ Scribed by Paul Christner; George Weinbaum; Bruce Sloan; Joel Rosenbloom

• Book ID: 102626123
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 385 KB
• Volume: 88
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2697
• DOI: 10.1016/0003-2697(78)90473-6

✦ Synopsis

A simple assay is described which is capable of detecting single breaks in purified radioactively labeled tropoelastin after incubation with dilute solutions of proteases. Using this assay we show that tropoelastin is rapidly cleaved by a variety of proteases, including leukocyte and pancreatic elastase, at physiologic pH and ionic strength. The results suggest the possibility that degradation of tropoelastin or other related biosynthetic intermediates may play a role in the pathogenesis of emphysema.