Synthesis and shedding of hyaluronan from plasma membranes of human fibroblasts and metastatic and non-metastatic melanoma cells

The regulation of hyaluronan synthesis and shedding was analysed in human fibroblasts and in two melanoma cells that differed in the metastatic potential and proteolysis of the hyaluronan receptor CD44. Dissociation of nascent hyaluronan from plasma membranes isolated from fibroblasts by high salt concentrations led to activation of hyaluronan synthase. Hyaluronan synthesis was also enhanced in plasma membranes from fibroblasts that had been treated with hyaluronidase or trypsin. Hyaluronan oligosaccharides stimulated hyaluronan production in fibroblast cultures. These results indicated that nascent high-molecular-mass hyaluronan inhibited its own chain elongation, if it was retained in the vicinity of the synthase by cell-surface receptors. The results also indicated that increased hyaluronan synthesis and shedding correlated with proteolysis of CD44 on the melanoma cell lines, which has been observed by others.