Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a large family of proteins in vertebrates, consisting of over 24 genes in humans, only a few of which have been identified in Xenopus. Three genes coding for MMPs in Xenopus have been identified and their expression studied during development. The membrane‐bound XMMP‐14 and ‐15 (XMT1‐MMP and XMT2‐MMP) both showed restricted expression patterns, the former principally localising to cranial neural crest tissues and the latter to the epidermis of the embryo. XMMP‐7 codes for an MMP that lacks the hemopexin‐like domain. It is expressed exclusively in macrophages or other myeloid cell types from early in development. Developmental Dynamics 231:214–220, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.