Müllberg J, Rauch C T, Wolfson M F, Castner B, Fitzner J N, Otten-Evans C, Mohler K M, Cosman D, Black R A
Immunex Corporation, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
FEBS Lett. 1997 Jan 20;401(2-3):235-8. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(96)01480-9.
Pro-TNF alpha, Steel factor, type II IL-1R and IL-2R alpha were expressed in COS-7 cells and the generation of their soluble forms was examined. The release of all four proteins was strongly stimulated by the phorbol ester PMA and completely blocked by a hydroxamate-based inhibitor of metalloproteases. COS-7 cell membranes were found to cleave various synthetic pro-TNF alpha peptides with the same specificity as a partially purified TNF alpha converting enzyme purified from human monocytic cells, suggesting that the same enzyme may be responsible for at least some of the COS-7 cell shedding activity.
