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Extracellular matrix components can influence cell behaviour by modulating a wide variety of events. In particular, the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan is involved in many processes of the normal and pathological adult cells and it is essential for embryonic development. Two main HA receptors have been characterized in vertebrate developing embryos: CD44 and RHAMM. These receptors display completely different characteristics apart from their ability to bind hyaluronan. RHAMM is still the most mysterious hyaluronan receptor as it can act as cell surface receptor but it can also be localized in the cytoplasm or in the cell nucleus, displaying both hyaluronan dependent and independent functions. In particular, the role of RHAMM during embryogenesis is still largely unclear. We reported a detailed gene expression analysis of RHAMM during Xenopus laevis development comparing its mRNA distribution with that of …