Apical oxidative hyaluronan degradation stimulates airway ciliary beating via RHAMM and RON

Dahis Manzanares, Maria Elena Monzon, Rashmin C. Savani, Matthias Salathe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

89 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hyaluronan (HA) is synthesized in high-molecular-weight form at the apical pole of airway epithelial cells, covering the luminal surface. When human airway epithelial cells grown and redifferentiated at the air-liquid interface (ALI) were exposed to xanthine/ xanthine oxidase (X/XO), ciliary beat frequency (CBF) increased. This effect was blocked by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Inhibition of hyaluronan synthesis inhibited the CBF response to X/XO, while addition of exogenous HA amplified it. A functionally blocking antibody to the receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) reduced the CBF response to X/XO. Since RHAMM has no transmembrane domain and thus cannot signal on its own, the association of RHAMM with recepteur d'origine nantais (RON), a member of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor family, was explored. Immunohistochemistry of human airway epithelium showed co-localization of RHAMM and RON at the apex of ciliated cells. Physical association of RHAMM and RON was confirmed with co-immunoprecipitations. Macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP), an agonist of RON, stimulated CBF. Genistein, a nonspecific tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and MSP β chain (β-MSP), a specific RON inhibitor, blocked the X/XO-induced CBF increase. HA present in the apical secretions of human airway epithelial cells was shown to degrade upon exposure to X/XO, a process inhibited by SOD. Low-molecular-weight HA fragments stimulated CBF, an effect blocked by anti-RHAMM antibody and genistein. These data suggest that high molecular form HA is broken down by reactive oxygen species to form low-molecular-weight fragments that signal via RHAMM and RON to stimulate CBF.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)160-168
Number of pages9
JournalAmerican journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology
Volume37
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2007

Keywords

  • Ciliary beat frequency
  • Hyaluronan
  • Reactive oxygen species
  • Recepteur d'origine nantais
  • Receptor for hyaluronan mediated motility

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

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