Résumé
We isolated complementary DNA (Cg-TIMP) from Crassostrea gigas that codes for a protein highly homologous to vertebrate tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). In vertebrates, TIMPs are multifunctional proteins that play a key role in extracellular matrix metabolism. They are involved in physiological processes (e.g. embryonic development, damage repair, angiogenesis) and pathological processes (e.g. inflammatory reactions, cancer).