From the simple discovery in 1962 that resorbing tadpole tail expressed an enzyme (MMP) that could degrade collagen gels, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) research has advanced to discover more than twenty distinct vertebrate MMPs and four specific inhibitors (TIMPS), a veritable family of enzymes involved in many physiological and pathological processes. In Matrix Metalloproteinase Protocols, leading experts detail proven laboratory techniques for the study of MMPs. The methods include those for the expression and purification of MMPs and TIMPs, for the detection of MMPs and TIMPs at both the protein and mRNA levels, and for the assay of MMP and TIMP activities in a wide variety of circumstances. Each method includes step-by-step instructions and notes on variant applications and pitfalls to avoid. A selective overview of the MMP arena spells out where the field has been, where it is, and where it is going.
Comprehensive and highly practical, Matrix Metalloproteinase Protocols brings together the long and hard-earned experience of master experimentalists that will allow not only novices to get up to speed quickly, but also add to the repertoire of successful techniques in expert laboratories.