Hyaluronan, a widely distributed component of the extracellular matrix, exists in a high molecular weight (native) form and lower molecular weight form (HMW- and LMW-HA, respectively). These different forms of hyaluronan bind to CD44 but elicit distinct effects on cellular function. A striking example is the opposing effects of HMW- and LMW-HA on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells; the binding of HMW-HA to CD44 inhibits cell cycle progression, whereas the binding of LMW-HA to CD44 stimulates cell cycle progression. We now report that cyclin D1 is the primary target of LMW-HA in human vascular smooth muscle cells, as it is for HMW-HA, and that the opposing cell cycle effects of these CD44 ligands result from differential regulation of signaling pathways to cyclin D1. HMW-HA binding to CD44 selectively inhibits the GTP loading of Rac and Rac-dependent signaling to the cyclin D1 gene, whereas LMW-HA binding to CD44 selectively stimulates ERK activation and ERK-dependent cyclin D1 gene expression. These data describe a novel mechanism of growth control in which a ligand-receptor system generates opposing effects on mitogenesis by differentially regulating signaling pathways to a common cell cycle target. They also emphasize how a seemingly subtle change in matrix composition can have a profound effect on cell proliferation.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581577 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M802934200 | DOI Listing |
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