[Matrix metalloproteinases and their biological functions].

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) play a key role in the metabolism of connective tissue proteins in the norm and in pathology. Major MMP subfamilies (collagenases, gelatinases, and stromelysins) and matrixins, which have not been attributed to any subfamily, are reviewed. The main characteristics of these enzymes; their structural properties; their specificity; the regulation of their activity; and their role in the normal development of the matrix, the oncogenic transformation of the cell, and angiogenesis are discussed.