Comparison of gene expression in mouse placentas with different combination of MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP alleles

MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP double deficiency in mice leads to development of a placental defect resulting in embryonic death after E10.5. The protein substrate for these two proteases in placenta is unknown, which poses an obstacle in uncovering of molecular mechanism behind the observed placental defect. In search for a potential substrate for these two proteases in placenta we have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes, expression of which might be affected by double MMP deficiency. Fetal parts of mouse placentas were isolated from E10.5 placentas of different genotypes for MT1- and MT2-MMP.