Osteopontin (OPN) is a tumor-associated, secreted phosphoprotein that has been implicated in breast cancer progression and metastasis. Research concerning how OPN functions in tumor progression has led to the identification of a limited number of genes that contribute functionally to OPN-induced cellular behaviors. Recent microarray analysis, comparing 21NT breast cancer cells transfected to co...

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids can modify gene and protein expression through altering the function of transcription factors controlling gene expression. Cumulus expansion, is a critical process for normal oocyte development, ovulation, and fertilization. This event needs to the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and its production is controlled by the enzyme hyaluronic acid synthase 2 (HAS2). The a...

The progression of several cancers is correlated with the increased synthesis of the glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is synthesized at the plasma membrane by various isoforms of hyaluronan synthases (HAS). The importance of HAS2 expression in highly invasive breast cancer was characterized by the antisense inhibition of HAS2 (ASHAS2). The effect of HAS2 inhibition on cell proliferatio...

The naked mole-rat (NMR) Heterocephalus glaber is a unique and fascinating mammal exhibiting many unusual adaptations to a subterranean lifestyle. The recent discovery of their resistance to cancer and exceptional longevity has opened up new and important avenues of research. Part of this resistance to cancer has been attributed to the fact that NMRs produce a modified form of hyaluronan--a key...

The progression of several cancers is correlated with the increased synthesis of the glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is synthesized at the plasma membrane by various isoforms of hyaluronan synthases (HAS). The importance of HAS2 expression in highly invasive breast cancer was characterized by the antisense inhibition of HAS2 (ASHAS2). The effect of HAS2 inhibition on cell proliferatio...

Hyaluronan (HA) plays a significant role in maintaining aqueous humor outflow in trabecular meshwork, the primary ocular tissue involved in glaucoma. We examined potential association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the HA synthesizing gene - hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2), hyaluronan binding protein 1 (HABP1) and HA catabolic gene hyaluronidase 3 (HYAL3) in the primary open angl...

In vertebrates, hyaluronan is produced in the plasma membrane from cytosolic UDP-sugar substrates by hyaluronan synthase 1-3 (HAS1-3) isoenzymes that transfer N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucuronic acid (GlcUA) in alternative positions in the growing polysaccharide chain during its simultaneous extrusion into the extracellular space. It has been shown that HAS2 immunoprecipitates contain f...

To identify the putative mammalian hyaluronan synthase, we cloned a human cDNA that is related to the Streptococcus hyaluronan synthase (HasA) and the Xenopus developmental protein DG42 which has been shown to have chitin synthase activity. The cDNA, for which we propose the name Has2, encodes a novel protein with a predicted molecular mass of 63.6 kDa. Has2 shows 55% amino acid identity with X...

Cancer metastasis is the main reason for poor patient survival. Tumor cells delaminate from the primary tumor by induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is mediated by key transcription factors, including ZEB1, activated by tumor cell interactions with stromal cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). ZEB1-mediated EMT and motility is accompanied by substantial cell reprogramm...

Orally ingested collagen undergoes degradation to small di- or tripeptides, which are detected in circulating blood 2 h after ingestion. The influence of collagen-derived peptides on dermal extracellular matrix components and cell proliferation was studied using cultured human dermal fibroblasts. Of the various collagenous peptides tested here, the dipeptide proline-hydroxyproline (Pro-Hyp) enh...