Hyaluronan is a high-molecular-weight glycosaminoglycan (GAG) prominent in the extracellular matrix. Emerging relatively late in evolution, it may have evolved to evade immune recognition. Chondroitin is a more ancient GAG and a possible hyaluronan precursor. Epimerization of a 4-hydroxyl in N-acetylgalactosamine in chondroitin to N-acetylglucosamine of hyaluronan is the only structural differe...

Inter-inhibitor is an abundant plasma protein whose physiological function is only now beginning to be revealed. It consists of three polypeptides: two heavy chains and one light chain called bikunin. Bikunin, which has antiproteolytic activity, carries a chondroitin sulphate chain to which the heavy chains are covalently linked. The heavy chains can be transferred from inter-inhibitor to hyalu...

Hyaluronan is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan of high molecular weight that acts as a structural component of extracellular matrices and mediates cell adhesion. There have been numerous recent reports that fragments of hyaluronan have different properties compared to the intact molecule. Though many of these results may be genuine, it is possible that some activities are due to minor components ...

Biliary epithelia express high levels of CD44 in hepatobiliary diseases. The role of CD44-hyaluronic acid interaction in biliary pathology, however, is unclear. A rat model of hepatic cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation was employed for characterization of hepatic CD44 expression and extracellular hyaluronan distribution. Cell culture experiments were employed to determine whether hyaluro...

Based on our previous findings, the present study has focused on free-radical-mediated degradation of the synovial biopolymer hyaluronan. The degradation was induced in vitro by the Weissberger's system comprising ascorbate plus cupric ions in the presence of oxygen, representing a model of the early phase of acute synovial joint inflammation. The study presents a novel strategy for hyaluronan ...

Little is known about how lymphocytes migrate within secondary lymphoid organs. Stromal cells and their associated reticular fibers form a network of fibers that radiate from high endothelial venules to all areas of the lymph node and may provide a scaffold for lymphocyte migration. We studied interactions of lymphocytes with cultured human tonsillar stromal cells and their extracellular matrix...

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a mesenchymal cancer that occurs throughout the body. Although LMS is easily recognized histopathologically, the cause of the disease remains unknown. Versican, an extracellular matrix proteoglycan, increases in LMS. Microarray analyses of 80 LMSs and 24 leiomyomas showed a significant elevated expression of versican in human LMS versus benign leiomyomas. To explore the ...

Membrane-bound hyaluronan mediates the initial adhesive interactions between many cell types and external surfaces. In RCJ-P chondrocytes, such early contacts are mediated through a thick hyaluronidase-sensitive coat. The early adhesion is followed by integrin-mediated interactions and the formation of stable focal adhesions. During this process, the distance between the cell membrane and the s...

The molecular weight of hyaluronan is important for its rheological and biological function. The molecular mechanisms underlying chain termination and hence molecular weight control remain poorly understood, not only for hyaluronan synthases but also for other beta-polysaccharide synthases, e.g. cellulose, chitin, and 1,3-betaglucan synthases. In this work, we manipulated metabolite concentrati...