Hyal2 — less active, but more versatile?

Hyal2 is one of several hyaluronidases present in vertebrates. The human gene encoding this enzyme is present on chromosome 3p.21.3, close to two additional hyaluronidase genes. cDNAs encoding Hyal2 homologues have been characterized from mouse and Xenopus laevis. These enzymes hydrolyze high molecular mass hyaluronan to intermediates of approximately 20 kDa, a finding which implies that structural domains of this size exist in this polysaccharide which was mostly thought to be a random coil. Hyal2 enzymes have an acidic pH-optimum with an activity that is considerably lower than observed for other types of hyaluronidases. Originally considered to be a typical lysosomal enzyme, more recent evidence has shown that Hyal2 proteins can also be exposed on the cell surface bound to the plasma membrane via a GPI anchor. Hyal2 is present in many tissues, one exception being the adult brain. In this tissue, the gene is silenced after birth by methylation. Current evidence about the role of Hyal2 in tumor growth, inflammation and frog embryogenesis is discussed.