UGDH is part of the UDP-glucose/GDP-mannose dehydrogenase family and is a widely expressed enzyme localized in the liver. UGDH transfers UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronate and thus takes part in the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronan， chondroitin sulfate， and heparan sulfate. These glycosylated products are ordinary molecules of the extracellular matrix and participate in signal transduction， cell migration， and cancer growth and metastasis.
