Transforming Growth Factor-b1 Bioassay Involving Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Induction

The transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1) bioassay developed in this study monitors increased luciferase activity in MCF10A cells containing the matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) promoter with a luciferase reporter and treated with increasing TGF-b1 concentrations. The response was linear in the concentration range from 75 to 2,500 pg/mL. The abilities of 3 types of TGF-b in inducing MMP-2 were different. The luciferase activity induced by TGF-b1 was about 2 times more than that by TGF-b2 and TGF-b3. The MMP-2 promoter bioassay showed greater reproducibility (coefficient of variation [CV] 10%) than the previously developed anticell proliferation assay of TF-1 cell (CV 16%) and the MMP-2 zymogram assay (CV 40%).