EXPESSION AND ACTIVITY OF MMP-2 IN THE PROCESS OF THE OPTIC LOBE LAMINATION

DI GUILMI, MN; SANCHEZ, VN; FUENTES, F; SCICOLONE, GE.; RAPACIOLI, M; MOLINAS, MF; FLORES, VD

Pinamar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; 20° annual meeting of argentine society for neurochemistry; 2005

SAN y SAIB

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) constitute a family of extracellular enzymes, which that participate in remodelling of pericellular environment through the cleavage of ECM proteins. MMP-2 and MMP-9 present gelatinolytic activity that is involved in tissue  remodeling and development. In this work we investigate the pattern of gelatinases activity in the developing chicken optic lobe (OL). The OL shows cortical structure organized in alternating neuronal and fibrous laminae. OLs from different embryonic ages (E) from E6 to newly hatched chicks (NH) were analized. We found MMP-2 but not MMP-9 activity in the developing OL. The zimographic activity pattern exhibits a significant increase between E12 and E14 and an abrupt decrease was observed from E16 until NH. The in situ activity was mainly detected in ventricular zone, in the neuronal layers and significant activity was detected in cells located around the radial glia. Topographic and temporal pattern of MMP-2 activity and expression suggests that it´s related to cell migration in the OL laminar organization This work was supported by grants from UBACYT and CONICET. Argentina.