We investigated the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) by hyaluronan(HA) stimulation in a human cancer cell line, QG90, that expresses a large amount of CD44s, a HA receptor. Treatment of QG90 with HA strongly activated MMP-2 secretion in a time- and dose-dependent manner. We found that expression of antisense CD44s in QG90 cells substantially inhibited the HA-dependent secretion of MMP-2, whereas overexpression of full-length CD44s augmented the HA-dependent secretion of MMP-2. In addition, pretreatment of cells with the neutralizing anti-CD44 antibody significantly inhibited both the HA-dependent MMP-2 secretion and the HA-dependent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, treatment of cells with a Ras farnesyltransferase inhibitor, manumycin A, strongly inhibited the HA-dependent MMP-2 secretion. Moreover, in vitro invasiveness of QG90 and its activation by HA were clearly suppressed by the expression of antisense CD44s. In addition, treatment of cells with anti-CD44, a mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1 inhibitor, PD98059, or phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, effectively blocked the HA-dependent activation of the invasiveness. In contrast, overexpression of full-length CD44 substantially activated the invasiveness of QG90. Taken together, HA-CD44s signaling plays a key role in the HA-dependent secretion of MMP-2 and, hence, in the invasiveness of QG90 cells.