Healing an epidermal wound requires the coordination of tissues and extracellular matrix (ECM), and this coordination is mediated by signaling pathways. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteases that cleave ECM and regulate signaling pathways in vitro, in culture, and during development, but their roles in wound healing are unclear. MMPs are medically important: they are highly upregulated during tumor progression, inflammation, and wound healing. We use a Drosophila model of epidermal wound healing to elucidate MMP function because of its reduced complexity - for example, there are 24 MMPs in mouse, whereas there are only two MMPs in Drosophila, Mmp1 and Mmp2. This organism also offers powerful genetic tools that allow spatio- temporally controlled gain- and loss-of-function phenotypic analyses for nearly every gene. We hypothesize that the Drosophila MMPs form a complex that acts as a global regulator of basement membrane remodeling. This hypothesis is based on genetic analyses of Mmp1, Mmp2, and the MMP binding-protein Timp in wounding and developmental contexts. All are required for healing puncture wounds, for specific aspects of pupal morphogenesis, and for expanding basement membrane during normal growth. Although these genes have other independent phenotypes, the shared phenotypes all point to a fundamental role for the three genes in basement membrane remodeling. As an MMP-Timp trimolecular complex has been described in mammalian cell culture, we hypothesize that Mmp1, Mmp2, and Timp form a similar complex that directs expansion and repair of basement membranes. Supporting this hypothesis, Mmp1's normal localization to the basement membrane and wound margins is lost in Mmp2 and Timp mutants. This hypothesis is novel and exciting: although MMPs are known to cleave ECM, they are considered to degrade ECM, rather than promote its expansion and repair. The MMPs also appear to regulate ERK signaling at the wound margin, with Mmp1 promoting signaling and Mmp2 confining signaling to the margin. These opposing phenotypes suggest another function of the same MMP complex.
Aim 1 determines the molecular interactions among Mmp1, Mmp2 and Timp, testing the MMP-complex hypothesis. We will identify binding partners, determine if they co-localize in tissues, and if different Mmp1 splice forms have different partners.
Aim 2 determines how MMPs individually and together modify basement membrane, identifying substrates by biochemical methods and an innovative proteomics approach (iTRAQ- TAILS);identifying the tissues controlling remodeling with conditional genetics;and examining the fine structure of mutant basement membrane.
Aim 3 determines how the two MMPs oppositely regulate ERK signaling at wounds in vivo, identifying the receptor and ligand, determining the function of ERK signaling in wound healing;and identifying the specific MMP substrate(s) responsible for altering the pathway. To accomplish these aims we have garnered support from a broad team of experts to inform and guide our experiments.

Public Health Relevance

Wound healing is important to human health, and millions of people are affected by chronic ulcerating wounds that do not heal or by disfiguring scars resulting from wound healing. We will examine how families of proteases that are thought to be destructive actually contribute to wound healing. Our findings will also be relevant for cancer patients, as the same family of proteases is present at high levels in tumors.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01GM073883-06A1
Application #
8370346
Study Section
Intercellular Interactions (ICI)
Program Officer
Nie, Zhongzhen
Project Start
2006-09-25
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$311,731
Indirect Cost
$111,731
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212
Ramos-Lewis, William; LaFever, Kimberly S; Page-McCaw, Andrea (2018) A scar-like lesion is apparent in basement membrane after wound repair in vivo. Matrix Biol 74:101-120
Ramos-Lewis, William; Page-McCaw, Andrea (2018) Basement membrane mechanics shape development: Lessons from the fly. Matrix Biol :
LaFever, Kimberly S; Wang, Xiaoxi; Page-McCaw, Patrick et al. (2017) Both Drosophila matrix metalloproteinases have released and membrane-tethered forms but have different substrates. Sci Rep 7:44560
Wang, Xiaoxi; Page-McCaw, Andrea (2014) A matrix metalloproteinase mediates long-distance attenuation of stem cell proliferation. J Cell Biol 206:923-36
McCall, A Scott; Cummings, Christopher F; Bhave, Gautam et al. (2014) Bromine is an essential trace element for assembly of collagen IV scaffolds in tissue development and architecture. Cell 157:1380-92
Saito-Diaz, Kenyi; Chen, Tony W; Wang, Xiaoxi et al. (2013) The way Wnt works: components and mechanism. Growth Factors 31:1-31
Broderick, Sarah; Wang, Xiaoxi; Simms, Nicholas et al. (2012) Drosophila Ninjurin A induces nonapoptotic cell death. PLoS One 7:e44567
Stevens, Laura J; Page-McCaw, Andrea (2012) A secreted MMP is required for reepithelialization during wound healing. Mol Biol Cell 23:1068-79
Schmidt, Rebecca L; Rinaldo, Francesca M; Hesse, Shayla E et al. (2011) Cleavage of PGRP-LC receptor in the Drosophila IMD pathway in response to live bacterial infection in S2 cells. Self Nonself 2:125-141
Miller, Crystal M; Liu, Nan; Page-McCaw, Andrea et al. (2011) Drosophila MMP2 regulates the matrix molecule faulty attraction (Frac) to promote motor axon targeting in Drosophila. J Neurosci 31:5335-47

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