Identification of > 4300 cleavage sites creates a family-wide MMP portrayal.
Subtle active-site specificity divergences demarcate individual MMP-family members.
Negative cooperativity ties the hallmark specificity features P3-Pro and P1′-Leu.
P1-Asn and nonprime side flexibility emerge as crucial specificity features.
Heat maps and iceLogos mask subsite cooperativity.