Hyaluronic acid synthesis by the malignant fibrous histiocytoma cell line NMSG 10 in vitro and its localization.

ABSTRACT

Viscous material secreted from NMSG 10 cells cultured from malignant fibrous histiocytoma of human bone was demonstrated using two-dimensional electrophoresis to be glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) consisting of mainly hyaluronic acid (HA), along with small amounts of heparan sulfate (HS) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS). The biosynthesis of HA in a cell-free system was located at the plasma membrane fraction by colloidal-iron-reactive ultrastructural staining. The molecular weight of the HA synthesized by the plasma membrane fraction was estimated to be about 90,000 D by gel filtration. The material secreted by the original tumor tissue of NMSG 10 cells was demonstrated to be GAGs consisting of HA, HS, ChS and dermatan sulfate using two-dimensional electrophoresis. These findings suggest that transformed tumor cells could synthesize HA at the plasma membrane and release it into the stroma of tumor tissue.