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1: Cell. 1992 Oct 30;71(3):411-21.Click here to read Links
Erratum in:
Cell. 1993 May 7;73(3):428.

LDL receptor-related protein internalizes and degrades uPA-PAI-1 complexes and is essential for embryo implantation.

Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) is a large multifunctional clearance receptor that has been implicated in the hepatic uptake of chylomicron remnants and in the removal of protease-inhibitor complexes from the circulation and from the extracellular space. Disruption of the LRP gene in mice blocks development of LRP-/- embryos around the implantation stage. The expression pattern of LRP in the postimplantation stage embryo is identical to that of urokinase, a plasminogen activator that confers invasive properties to migrating cells. We demonstrate that LRP mediates uptake and degradation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator-plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 complexes and propose that the inability of the giant cells to remove the inactive protease complexes from their surfaces interferes with implantation of the embryo.

PMID: 1423604 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]