INTERCELLULAR-ADHESION MOLECULE-1 IS A CELL-SURFACE RECEPTOR FOR HYALURONAN

Our laboratory has previously characterized and purified the hyalurona n receptor by hyaluronan affinity chromatography of rat liver endothel ial cells. We have now isolated the receptor from whole rat liver and have obtained sufficient quantities for amino acid sequence analysis. Four peptides of various lengths were obtained from affinity-purified receptor and found to have identity with rat intercellular adhesion mo lecule-1. This glycoprotein is normally expressed in low amounts on th e endothelial cells, but is up-regulated in inflamed and malignant tis sues, and mediates cell-cell adhesion as a ligand for lymphocyte funct ion-associated antigen-1 and the macrophage associated Mac-1. The affi nity of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 for hyaluronan is likely to have important implications for cell adhesion in normal and in disease states such as inflammation, atherosclerosis, and cancer.