GelatinaseA(MMP-2)isconsideredtoplayacriticalroleincellmigrationandinvasion.Theproteinaseiscercetedfromthecellasaninactivezymogen.InvivoitispostulatedthatactivationofprogelationaseA(proMMP-2)takesplaceonthecellsurfacemediatedbymembrane-typematrixmetalloproteinases(MT-MMPs).RecentstudieshavedemonstratedthatproMMP-2isrecruitedtothecellsurfacebyinteractingwithtissueinhibitorofmetalloproteinases-2(TIMP-2)boundtoMT1-MMPbyformingaternarycomplex.FreeMT1-MMPcloselylocatedtotheternarycomplexthenactivatesproMMP-2onthecellsurface.MT1-MMPisfoundinculturedinvasivecancercellsattheinvadopodia.TheMT-MMP/TIMP-2/MMP-2systemthusprovideslocalizedexpressionofproteolysisoftheextracellularmatrixrequiredforcellmigration.
