Rapid hyaluronan uptake is associated with enhanced motility: implications for an intracellular mode of action.

Texas red-labeled hyaluronan (TR-HA) is rapidly taken up in a CD44 independent manner into ras-transformed 10T1/2 fibroblasts, where it accumulates in both cell ruffles/lamellae, the perinuclear area, and the nucleus. HA does not accumulate in the cell ruffles/lamellae of parental 10T1/2 cells. Addition of HA to ras-transformed cells promotes their random motility but has no effect on 10T1/2 cell motility. 10T1/2 cells can be modified to take up HA into cell ruffles by exposure to phorbol ester or direct microinjection of HA into cells. Both treatments significantly stimulate 10T1/2 cell motility.