Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Room J1027
11:15 AM
Professor Marcos Milla
Pennsylvania University
School of Medicine
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
How does the
tumor-necrosis-factor--converting enzyme work?
ABSTRACT
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is a major proinflammatory cytokine and
is responsible for a host of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. TNF
is made by macrophages and moinocytes as a membrane-bound precursor that
needs to be released from membranes by a protease in order to be
secreted. Our group has purified and cloned this protease, named TNF
converting enzyme (TACE). TACE is a zinc metalloproteinase of the
disintegrin family (ADAMs). We are currently studying how this
multidomain protease is activated and how substrate recognition and
cleavage take place.