Temporal and Spatial evaluation of matrix metalloproteinases activity (MMPs -2, -9 and -14)during mice endochondral ossification.

• Grant number: 08/03096-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2008
• End date: June 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Katiúcia Batista da Silva Paiva
• Grantee: Virgínia Sant'Ana Cronemberger
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

MMPs are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that, collectivelly, degrade all components of the ECM. They are able to remodelate the ECM during normal developmental processes such as embryogenesis and organogenesis, as well as in pathological processes such as tumoral invasion. The biological mineralization research looking for discovering the genes involved in the molecular mechanisms that control the endochondral ossification process. MMPs and their inhibitors (TIMPs and RECK) are responsable for bone matrix remodeling and, probably, determinate the level of its turnover. Our research group study the temporal-spatial expression of MMPs, TIMPs, and RECK protein in several biological mineralization processes, such as odontogenesis and amelogenesis, alveolar bone repair, palatogenesis, endochondral and intramembrabous ossification by imunohistochemistry, gel zymography, in situ hybridization and Real Time PCR techniques. Thus, our goal is evaluating the temporal-spatial enzymatic activity of MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-14 in mice embryos and newborns during endochondral ossification by in situ zymography.