Basal lamina degradation: the identification of mammalian-like collagenase activity in mesenchymal-derived matrix vesicles.

Isolated matrix vesicles from 26-day embryonic New Zealand White rabbit incisor tooth organs were incubated on ¹⁴C labeled reconstituted Type I collagen at 25°C for 18 hours. Under these conditions the matrix vesicles demonstrated the ability to degrade collagen as demonstrated by radio-activity solubilized. Analysis of the released radioactivity using SDS-PAGE demonstrated the presence of two molecular species with molecular weights of 67,000 and 32,000 daltons. These results are in accordance with the presence of a mammalian-like collagenase associated with the matrix vesicles, whose function may be the degradation of the basal lamina.