proMMP-9 extinction resulted in the following: (i) decreased spreading on extracellular matrix (fibronectin, laminin, collagen IV)-coated surfaces, (ii) inhibition of migration toward fibronectin, and (iii) induced aggregation, which was specifically disrupted by a function-blocking E-cadherin antibody.
Transfection of a double stranded RNA that targets the MMP-9 mRNA into COH cells depleted the corresponding mRNA and protein as demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and gelatin zymography. COH cells derived from a highly invasive and metastatic Ewing's sarcoma constitutively express proMMP-9. Enhanced expression of (pro)matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is associated with human tumor invasion and/or metastasis.
