SYNTHESIS OF LATENT COLLAGENASE AND COLLAGENASE INHIBITOR BY BOVINE DENTAL PULP FIBROBLAST-LIKE CELLS IN CULTURE

抄録

Fibroblast-like cells isolated from root pulps of bovine unerupted widsom teeth were shown to secrete both latent collagenase and collagenase inhibitor in culture. Molecular weights of the latent collagenase and the inhibitor were estimated to be 68,000 and 30,000, respectively, by gel filtration. Activated pulp cell collagenase cleaved type I collagen in solution into three-quarter (α^A) and one-quarter (α^B) length cleavage fragments and was inhibited by EDTA, o-phenanthroline, dithiothreitol, bovine serum, and pulp tissue collagenase inhibitor. The pulp cell inhibitor showed inhibitory activity against all the animal collagenases tested, except for bacterial collagenase. Double-immunodiffusion analysis using monospecific anti-pulp tissue inhibitor antiserum showed that the pulp cell inhibitor is immunologically identical to pulp tissue inhibitor.