Pro-collagen I COOH-terminal trimer induces directional migration and metalloproteinases in breast cancer cells.

Breast and prostatic carcinomas, melanoma, and endothelial cell lines are chemoattracted by medium conditioned by mature osteoblasts. The chemoattractant for endothelial cells was identified with C3, carboxyl-terminal trimer of pro-collagen type I. We report that C3 induces directional migration and proliferation, the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2, pro-metalloproteinase-2 and -9, and their activation in MDA MB231 cells, without changing the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 and of metalloproteinase-14.