The biosynthesis of basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), known as perlecan, in ACC3 cells established from a adenoid cystic carcinoma of the human salivary gland was studied using metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation with discriminative antibodies specific for HSPG core protein. Treatment of immunoprecipitated HSPG with HNO2, heparitinase, and chondroitinase ABC revealed that ACC3 cells synthesized HSPG molecules composed of 470-kDa core protein and heparan sulfate but not of chondroitin sulfate. The core protein was shown to contain complex type N-linked oligosaccharides by digestion with N-glycanase and endoglycosidase H. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the mature form of HSPG was formed in the cells in 30 min and released into the medium thereafter. Degradation of HSPG was also found in the chase period of 3 h. In time course experiments, HSPG was found to be synthesized maximally at day 4 after plating, deposited in the cell layer maximally at day 6, and secreted maximally at day 8. This was also confirmed by immunofluorescence, Northern blotting, and in-situ hybridization. The results indicate that ACC3 cells synthesize, secrete and degrade basement membrane type HSPG, which is analogous to those produced by other cell types, and that the biosynthesis and secretion of HSPG in ACC3 cells are strictly regulated by the cell growth, that may be reflected in the characteristic histology of adenoid cystic carcinomas.