Prostate cancer progression can be predicted in human
tumor biopsies by abundant
hyaluronan (HA) and its processing
enzyme, the
hyaluronidase HYAL1. Accumulation of HA is dictated by the balance between expression levels of HA synthases, the
enzymes that produce HA
polymers, and hyaluronidases, which process
polymers to
oligosaccharides. Aggressive prostate
tumor cells express 20-fold higher levels of the
hyaluronan synthase HAS3, but the mechanistic relevance of this correlation has not been determined. We stably overexpressed HAS3 in prostate
tumor cells. Adhesion to extracellular matrix and cellular growth kinetics in vitro were significantly reduced. Slow growth in culture was restored either by exogenous addition of
hyaluronidase or by stable HYAL1 coexpression. Coexpression did not improve comparably slow growth in mice, however, suggesting that excess
hyaluronan production by HAS3 may alter the balance required for induced
tumor growth. To address this, we used a
tetracycline-inducible HAS3 expression system in which
hyaluronan production could be experimentally controlled. Adjusting temporal parameters of
hyaluronan production directly affected growth rate of the cells. Relief from growth suppression in vitro but not in vivo by enzymatic removal of HA effectively uncoupled the respective roles of
hyaluronan in growth and angiogenesis, suggesting that growth mediation is less critical to establishment of the
tumor than early vascular development. Collectively results also imply that HA processing by elevated HYAL1 expression in invasive
prostate cancer is a requirement for progression.