About MMP-3
Proteins of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family are involved in the breakdown of extracellular matrix in normal physiological processes, such as embryonic development, reproduction, and tissue remodeling, as well as in disease processes, such as arthritis and metastasis. Most MMP's are secreted as inactive proproteins which are activated when cleaved by extracellular proteinases. This gene encodes an enzyme which degrades fibronectin, laminin, collagens III, IV, IX, and X, and cartilage proteoglycans. The enzyme is thought to be involved in wound repair, progression of atherosclerosis, and tumor initiation. The gene is part of a cluster of MMP genes which localize to chromosome 11q22.3. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

About Janelia Fluor 549
Janelia Fluor® 549 was developed at the Janelia Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute but is commercialized by other vendors. The Janelia Fluor®s family is unique in that the fluorophores are cell-permeable and are available in photoactivatable forms. These fluorophores were developed for super-resolution microscopy (STED, PALM and STORM) and live-cell microscopy in the HaloTag and SNAP-tag versions. Janelia Fluor® 549 has an excitation peak at 549 nm and an emission peak at 571 nm.