Disturbed Matrix Metalloproteinase Pathway in Both Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease

Figure 1

(a) The Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) Pathway. The gelatinase components comprise the pro- and active forms of the monomeric MMP2 and MMP9, the high molecular weight forms denoted by HMW1 and HMW2, and the large macromolecular weight MMP complex termed LMMC consisting of HMW1 and HMW2, pro-MMP9, and a trace of pro-MMP2. Apart from LMMC, all other gelatinase components have been shown to exist in a free/bound equilibrium (pathway constructed from reference [38].) (b) Activation scheme for pro-MMP2. (c) Competing reactions for free pro-MMP2. These are primarily binding, activation, covalent interaction with pro-MMP9 to form the HMW2 species, and incorporation into the LMMC complex (constructed from [24–27, 38, 39]).

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