Metalloproteinases are a group of at least 25 Zn2 + -dependent exopeptidases , whose primary function is to modulate the extracellular environment by proteolysis of the protein components of extracellular matrix , membrane receptors and cytokines . These enzymes are synthesized as precursor cells and released into the extracellular space where they are activated by proteolytic cleavage of the propeptide region . Metalloproteinases are tightly regulated at the level of transcription and translation, and by specific tissue inhibitors ( tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases , TIMPs ) .

The extracellular matrix in the nervous system is a complex network of macromolecules, which not only creates a framework for the cell elements, but also participates in the regulation of many physiological processes such as migration, proliferation, adhesion, and cell differentiation. Its particular form, arising out of the aggregation of certain elements, networks are perineuronalne. These net-like structure composed of glycoproteins and proteoglycans that surround perikariony and proximal dendrites of some neurons, representing the entire central nervous system.