Data for: Intracellular hyaluronan: Importance for cellular functions

Hyaluronan-rich matrices are abundant in ECM and are involved in biological processes, such as cell growth and migration. Hyaluronan is synthesized by the hyaluronan synthase family of enzymes, HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3; the HAS1 and HAS3 genes give rise to different transcripts through alternative splicing, and the HAS2 gene to a non-coding RNA antisense transcript in addition to the protein-coding transcript. Biosynthesis of hyaluronan increases during inflammation and cancer and is regulated by cytokines and growth factors. In addition to extracellular hyaluronan-rich matrices, cytoplasmic and nuclear forms of hyaluronan have been detected in normal and pathological processes. Extra- and intra-cellular hyaluronan binds to hyaluronan binding proteins, such as CD44, RHAMM, CDC37 and USP17, affecting cellular behavior. Although neither the exact mechanisms by which hyaluronan is present in the intracellular compartments nor its function at these sites are currently understood, there are evidence that intracellular hyaluronan has important regulatory roles during cell cycle, cell motility, RNA translation and splicing, and autophagy.富含透明质酸（hyaluronan）的基质在细胞外基质（extracellular matrix，ECM）中广泛分布，并参与细胞生长、迁移等生物学过程。透明质酸由透明质酸合酶（hyaluronan synthase, HAS）家族的酶催化合成，涵盖HAS1、HAS2与HAS3三种亚型；其中HAS1与HAS3基因可通过可变剪接产生不同转录本，而HAS2基因除编码蛋白的转录本外，还可生成一段非编码RNA反义转录本。透明质酸的生物合成在炎症与癌症进程中会上调，并受细胞因子与生长因子的调控。除细胞外的富含透明质酸基质外，在正常及病理生理过程中，也已检测到胞质与胞核形式的透明质酸。细胞内外的透明质酸可结合透明质酸结合蛋白，如CD44、RHAMM、CDC37及USP17，进而调控细胞行为。尽管目前尚未明确透明质酸进入胞内区室的确切机制，以及其在这些位点的具体功能，但已有研究证据表明，胞内透明质酸在细胞周期、细胞运动、RNA翻译与剪接及自噬过程中发挥重要调控作用。