Characterization of human skin fibroblasts elastase activity.

We present evidence that enzyme activity hydrolyzing Succinoyl trialanine paranitroanilide (Suc(Ala)3NA) expressed by Human Skin Fibroblasts (HSF) in culture could be attributed to the concerted action of an endopeptidase and an aminopeptidase(s). Both endopeptidase and aminopeptidase activities were strongly inhibited by metal chelating agents and Copper and Zinc ions but were insensitive to Tissue Inhibitor of Metallo Proteases (TIMP). These protease activities coeluted on ion exchange chromatography (DEAE Tris acryl M) and were further separated by high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC (TSK 3000 SW). The endopeptidase activity, designated as HSF E1, was eluted at the position corresponding to an Mr equal to 94,000. It has only a limited elastinolytic potential as evaluated on 3H insoluble elastin, but it extensively degrades human skin elastic fibers as directly assessed on human skin tissue sections and further quantitated by automated image analysis. The level of HSF E1 increases with the number of fibroblast passages.