The Structural Basis for the Elastolytic Activity of the 92-kDa and 72-kDa Gelatinases

Several matrix metalloproteinases, including the 92-kDa and 72-kDa gelatinases, macrophage metalloelastase (MME), and matrilysin degrade insoluble elastin. Because elastolytically active MME and matrilysin consist only of a catalytic domain (CD), we speculated that the homologous CDs of the 92-kDa and 72-kDa gelatinases would confer their elastolytic activities. In contrast to the MME CD, the 92 and 72 CDs expressed in Escherichia coli (lacking the internal fibronectin type II-like repeats) had no elastase activity, although both were gelatinolytic and cleaved a thiopeptolide substrate at rates comparable to the full-length gelatinases. To test the role of the fibronectin type II-like repeats in elastolytic activity, we expressed the 92-kDa gelatinase CD with its fibronectin type II-like repeats (92 CD/FN) in yeast. 92 CD/FN degraded insoluble elastin with activity comparable to full-length 92-kDa gelatinase. 92 and 72 CDs lacking the fibronectin type II-like repeats did not bind elastin, whereas the parent enzymes and 92 CD/FN did bind elastin. Furthermore, recombinant 92-kDa fibronectin type II-like repeats inhibited binding of the 92-kDa gelatinase to elastin. We conclude that the 92- and 72-kDa gelatinases require the fibronectin type II-like repeats for elastase activity.