HYALURONIC-ACID SYNTHESIS BY THE MALIGNANT FIBROUS HISTIOCYTOMA CELL-LINE NMSG-10 IN-VITRO AND ITS LOCALIZATION

Viscous material secreted from NMSG 10 cells cultured from malignant f ibrous histiocytoma of human bone was demonstrated using two-dimension al electrophoresis to be glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) consisting of mainl y hyaluronic acid (HA), along with small amounts of heparan sulfate (H S) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS). The biosynthesis of HA in a cell-fre e system was located at the plasma membrane fraction by colloidal-iron -reactive ultrastructural staining. The molecular weight of the HA syn thesized by the plasma membrane fraction was estimated to be about 90, 000 D by gel filtration. The material secreted by the original tumor t issue of NMSG 10 cells was demonstrated to be GAGs consisting of HA, H S, ChS and dermatan sulfate using two-dimensional electrophoresis. The se findings suggest that transformed tumor cells could synthesize HA a t the plasma membrane and release it into the stroma of tumor tissue.