Novel fluorescent probe for measurement of extracellular matrix degradation

The invasive properties of cancer cells are affected by cell adhesion to the surrounding extracellular matrix. We previously reported that degradation of the major extracellular matrix component hyaluronan upregulates cancer cell migration. Although hyaluronan degradation to smaller fragments is a key reaction in regulating cancer progression, simple methods for continuously detecting hyaluronan-degrading activity have not been established. Here, we show that fluorescently-labeled hyaluronan serves as a substrate for continuous measurement of hyaluronan-degrading activity. The developed assay method is useful for investigation of the function of hyaluronan in cancer progression.