Characterization of an extracellular matrix-degrading protease derived from a highly metastatic tumor cell line.

A proteolytic activity associated with the microsomal fraction of L-5178Y/Esb tumor cells has been characterized. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 80-90 kD as determined by affinity-labelling with [3H]DFP and SDS-gel electrophoresis. It cleaves ester substrates at the carboxyl position of lysine and arginine and can activate the proenzyme plasminogen. The enzyme is found to be associated with the plasma membranes of high and low metastatic tumor cell lines and is shed in high-molecular-weight form mainly by the high metastatic variant. The pH optimum for esterase and protease activities was 7.5-8.5. Although similar to trypsin in substrate specificity, the enzyme was not inhibited by lima-bean trypsin inhibitor but was inhibited by DFP, PMSF, aprotinin and leupeptin. Partially purified preparations of the protease can alone degrade 125I-labelled endothelial cell extracellular matrix, pointing at the putative role of this enzyme in tumor invasion.