MEP1B Mouse
Description
Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Remodeling
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Collagen Processing: Mep1b −/− mice exhibit reduced collagen I maturation and smaller collagen fibril diameters, leading to decreased skin tensile strength .
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Fibrosis: Meprin β promotes collagen deposition in lung fibrosis and keloids .
Neurobiology
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APP Processing: Acts as an alternative β-secretase, generating N-terminally truncated Aβ peptides implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) .
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Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB) Regulation: Overexpression reduces claudin-5 tight junction protein, increasing BBB permeability .
Inflammation
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Leukocyte Migration: Mep1b −/− leukocytes show impaired invasion through Matrigel, indicating a role in immune cell trafficking .
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Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Mep1b −/− mice develop less severe colitis than wild-type mice in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) models .
Disease Associations
Phenotypic Observations in Mouse Models
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Skin Integrity: Mep1b −/− mice show 50% reduced skin tensile strength and disorganized collagen fibrils .
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Brain Endothelium: Mep1b overexpression decreases transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) by 30% .
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Survival: ~50% of Mep1b −/− mice die prenatally, suggesting essential developmental roles .
Molecular Interactions and Regulation
Gene-Chemical Interactions
| Chemical | Effect on Mep1b | Study Model |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine | Decreases expression | DSS-induced colitis |
| TGF-β1 | Upregulates expression | Lung fibrosis |
| Vancomycin | Increases expression | Gut microbiota study |
Technical Tools and Reagents
Product Specs
| Produced in Sf9 Insect cells, MEP1B is a single, glycosylated polypeptide chain comprising 642 amino acids (21-654aa) with a molecular weight of 72.6kDa. It's important to note that the molecular size on SDS-PAGE will appear approximately between 70-100kDa. The protein is expressed with an 8 amino acid His tag at the C-Terminus and purified using proprietary chromatographic techniques. |
| The MEP1B protein solution is provided at a concentration of 0.25mg/ml. It is formulated in Phosphate Buffered Saline (pH 7.4) containing 10% glycerol. |
Product Science Overview
Meprin β is a membrane-bound metalloprotease that forms disulfide-linked homo- or heterooligomers with meprin α subunits . The recombinant mouse meprin β protein is typically expressed in baculovirus systems and purified to high levels of purity (>90%) for research purposes . The protein is often tagged with a His tag at the C-terminus to facilitate purification and detection .
Meprin β exhibits a strong preference for acidic amino acids at the P1’ position and is known to cleave a variety of substrates, including:
- Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 (FGF19)
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA)
- Interleukin-1 Beta (IL1B)
- Interleukin-18 (IL18)
- Procollagen I and III
- E-cadherin
- Kallikrein-related peptidases (KLK7)
- Gastrin
- ADAM10
- Tenascin-C
The presence of several pro-inflammatory cytokines among its substrates implicates meprin β in inflammation. Additionally, its ability to degrade extracellular matrix components suggests a role in tissue remodeling .
Recombinant mouse meprin β protein is widely used in research to study its role in various biological processes. It is particularly useful in investigating its involvement in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and protein shedding. The recombinant protein is also employed in assays to identify potential inhibitors and to understand its substrate specificity .
