title: Intracellular hyaluronan: a new frontier for inflammation?
abstract: A variety of obstacles have hindered the ultrastructural localization of hyaluronan (HA). These include a lack of adequate fixation techniques to prevent the loss of HA, the lack of highly sensitive and specific probes, and a lack of accessibility due to the masking of HA by HA-binding macromolecules such as proteoglycans and glycoproteins. Despite these problems, a number of studies, both biochemical and histochemical, have been published indicating that HA is not restricted to the extracellular milieu, but is also present intracellularly. This review focuses on the possible functions of intracellular HA, its potential relationships to extracellular HA structures, and implications for inflammatory processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. hascall@bme.ri.ccf.org
authors.forename: Vincent C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Hascall
authors.forename: Alana K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Majors
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: De La Motte
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Evanko
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Drazba
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Thomas N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wight
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003092:Colitis / Q000378:metabolism; D003513:Cycloheximide; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008938:Mitosis; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011070:Poly I-C; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D003513:Cycloheximide; D014166:Transferases; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D011070:Poly I-C