Continuous fluorometric assay of phenol sulfotransferase.

Phenol sulfotransferases (EC 2.8.2.1) catalyze the sulfation of the acceptor hydroxyl group using 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as the donor substrate. Previous assays of these enzymes, which exhibit varied acceptor substrate specificities, have required termination of the catalysis followed by isolation and quantitation of formed sulfate ester. In this report, the sulfation of the fluorescent compound, resorufin, is investigated. Reaction of PAPS with resorufin, catalyzed by bovine lung phenol sulfotransferase, bleaches the emission of this acceptor at the pH of the reaction (pH 6.4 optimum). It is thereby possible to continuously record the sulfation reaction. Analysis of single progress curves by integrated replot can be used to determine the initial velocities and also indicates the formation of a product inhibitor, probably resorufin sulfate ester, with Ki less than Km. Sensitivity of the reaction is less than 1 pmol/min. The maximal rate of resorufin sulfation by the bovine lung enzyme is estimated at 57 nmol/mg/min, which is 10% of the rate with an optimal substrate 2-naphthol. This assay may be most sensitive for phenol sulfotransferases with optimal activities at greater than pH 6, due to the acid-base properties of resorufin (pK alpha 6), which becomes nonfluorescent upon protonation.     

Paper disk assay for glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferases

A method is described for the assay of sulfotransferases, which transfer sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to glycosaminoglycan acceptors. Following the sulfation reactions, the [35S]sulfate-labeled products are precipitated and then separated from a sulfate donor ([35S]PAPS) and its degradation products by a paper disk method, and then the radioactivity remaining on the paper disk is subsequently determined by liquid scintillation counting. The rapidity and simplicity of the method are advantageous for multiple assays and have allowed us to establish assay conditions for serum sulfotransferases which introduce sulfate at position 6 of the internal N-acetylgalactosamine units of chondroitin, position 2 (amino group) of the glucosamine units of heparan sulfate and sugar units of keratan sulfate, respectively. The assay method will be applicable with modification to the assay of other glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferases and glycoprotein sulfotransferases.     

肝素硫酸转移酶优化表达及其在动物源肝素硫酸化中的应用

肝素是一种重要的凝血药物,目前主要依赖于动物小肠粘膜的提取。动物源肝素含有的抗凝血活性五糖单位GlcNS6S-GlcA-GlcNS6S3S-Ido2S-GlcNS6S少,抗凝血活性低下。文中提出并验证了一种基于酶法催化动物源肝素,提高其硫酸化程度和抗凝血活性的方法。通过比较3种硫酸转移酶肝素-2-硫酸转移酶(Heparan sulfate-2-O-sulfotransferase,HS2ST)、肝素-6-硫酸转移酶(Heparan sulfate-6-O-sulfotransferase,HS6ST)、肝素-3-硫酸转移酶(Heparan sulfate-3-O-sulfotransferase,HS3ST)在重组大肠杆菌及重组毕赤酵母中表达,确定了毕赤酵母作为3种硫酸转移酶的表达宿主;进一步通过N端融合麦芽糖融合蛋白MBP和硫氧还蛋白Trx A,HS2ST和HS6ST的酶表达水平分别提高至(839?14) U/L和(792?23) U/L。通过3种硫酸转移酶HS2ST、HS6ST和HS3ST共同催化动物源肝素,其抗凝血活性由(76?2) IU/mg提高至(189?17) IU/mg。     

Enzymatic redesigning of biologically active heparan sulfate

Heparan sulfate carries a wide range of biological activities, regulating blood coagulation, cell differentiation, and inflammatory responses. The sulfation patterns of the polysaccharide are essential for the biological activities. In this study, we report an enzymatic method for the sulfation of multimilligram amounts of heparan sulfate with specific functions using immobilized sulfotransferases combined with a 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate regeneration system. By selecting appropriate enzymatic modification steps, an inactive precursor has been converted to the heparan sulfate having three distinct biological activities, associated with binding to antithrombin, fibroblast growth factor-2, and herpes simplex virus envelope glycoprotein D. Because the recombinant sulfotransferases are expressed in bacteria, and the method uses a low cost sulfo donor, it can be readily utilized to synthesize large quantities of anticoagulant heparin drug or other biologically active heparan sulfates.     

Partial purification and characterization of 3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate:keratan sulfate sulfotransferases

Two 3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate:keratan sulfate sulfotransferases were purified 600-fold and 340-fold, respectively, from isolated bovine cornea cells. Sulfotransferase I exhibited an apparent Mr = 220,000, whereas an Mr = 140,000 was calculated for sulfotransferase II. The final preparations were both devoid of chondroitin sulfate sulfotransferase activity. The position of sulfation was determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sixty per cent of the sulfate ester groups formed by sulfotransferase I were linked to the C-6 atom of galactosyl residues, the other ones to the C-6 atom of N-acetylglucosamine. Sulfotransferase II showed a different specificity: 23% of the newly formed sulfate ester groups were on galactosyl and 77% on N-acetylglucosaminyl residues. Both sulfotransferase preparations acted in a cooperative manner. In the presence of both sulfotransferases, the incorporation of [35S]sulfate into keratan sulfate was up to 75% higher than could be expected from the sum of individual activities. From the specific radioactivities of the oligosaccharides produced by digestion with endo-beta-galactosidase, it was also concluded that both enzyme species reacted best with keratan sulfate segments exhibiting a relatively high degree of sulfation.     

A terminal 6-sulfotransferase catalyzing a synthesis of N-acetylgalactosamine 4,6-bissulfate residue at the nonreducing terminal position of chondroitin sulfate

A soluble enzyme from quail oviduct which incorporates sulfate into position 6 of the nonreducing N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate end group of chondroitin sulfate has been purified. This enzyme (termed "terminal 6-sulfotransferase") was partially separated from a 6-sulfotransferase present in the same tissue which catalyzes the incorporation of sulfate into interior portion of unsulfated chondroitin. The basic requirements for the terminal 6-sulfotransferase reaction were shown to be 3'-phosphoadenylyl sulfate (donor) and chondroitin 4-sulfate (acceptor). The substitution of unsulfated chondroitin (prepared from squid skin) for chondroitin 4-sulfate resulted in a total loss of activity. These results suggest that the organization of the proteoglycan-synthesizing apparatus may well involve hitherto unrecognized mechanisms for the sulfation of chondroitin chains.     

Installation of O-glycan sulfation capacities in human HEK293 cells for display of sulfated mucins

The human genome contains at least 35 genes that encode Golgi sulfotransferases that function in the secretory pathway, where they are involved in decorating glycosaminoglycans, glycolipids, and glycoproteins with sulfate groups. Although a number of important interactions by proteins such as selectins, galectins, and sialic acid–binding immunoglobulin-like lectins are thought to mainly rely on sulfated O-glycans, our insight into the sulfotransferases that modify these glycoproteins, and in particular GalNAc-type O-glycoproteins, is limited. Moreover, sulfated mucins appear to accumulate in respiratory diseases, arthritis, and cancer. To explore further the genetic and biosynthetic regulation of sulfated O-glycans, here we expanded a cell-based glycan array in the human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cell line with sulfation capacities. We stably engineered O-glycan sulfation capacities in HEK293 cells by site-directed knockin of sulfotransferase genes in combination with knockout of genes to eliminate endogenous O-glycan branching (core2 synthase gene GCNT1) and/or sialylation capacities in order to provide simplified substrates (core1 Galβ1–3GalNAcα1–O-Ser/Thr) for the introduced sulfotransferases. Expression of the galactose 3-O-sulfotransferase 2 in HEK293 cells resulted in sulfation of core1 and core2 O-glycans, whereas expression of galactose 3-O-sulfotransferase 4 resulted in sulfation of core1 only. We used the engineered cell library to dissect the binding specificity of galectin-4 and confirmed binding to the 3-O-sulfo-core1 O-glycan. This is a first step toward expanding the emerging cell-based glycan arrays with the important sulfation modification for display and production of glycoconjugates with sulfated O-glycans.     

Purification and characterization of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase from the squid cartilage

N-Acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST), which transfers sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to position 6 of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate in chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, was purified 19,600-fold to apparent homogeneity from the squid cartilage. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme showed a broad protein band with a molecular mass of 63 kDa. The protein band coeluted with GalNAc4S-6ST activity from Toyopearl HW-55 around the position of 66 kDa, indicating that the active form of GalNAc4S-6ST may be a monomer. The purified enzyme transferred sulfate from PAPS to chondroitin sulfate A, chondroitin sulfate C, and dermatan sulfate. The transfer of sulfate to chondroitin sulfate A and dermatan sulfate occurred mainly at position 6 of the internal N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate residues. Chondroitin sulfate E, keratan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and completely desulfated N-resulfated heparin were not efficient acceptors of the sulfotransferase. When a trisaccharide or a pentasaccharide having sulfate groups at position 4 of N-acetylgalactosamine was used as acceptor, efficient sulfation of position 6 at the nonreducing terminal N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate residue was observed.     

Aryl sulfotransferase IV from rat liver

A group of aryl sulfotransferases has been identified that catalyzes sulfate ester formation with simple phenols at an acidic pH and with several physiological metabolites at a more alkaline pH. One enzyme, aryl sulfotransferase IV, has been purified to homogeneity and found to be a protein of 61,000 daltons composed of two subunits of apparent equal size. Homogeneous preparations are active with simple phenols, organic hydroxylamines, and catecholamines as well as serotonin and its metabolites. The enzyme is also active with tyrosine methyl ester and with those peptide hormones e.g., cholecystokinin heptapeptide and some of the enkephalins, which have N-terminal tyrosine residues.     

Mammalian sulfoconjugate metabolism

Sulfoconjugates occur ubiquitously as sulfopolysaccharides, sulfolipids and sulfoproteins. A variety of sulfotransferases catalyze the sulfation process with 3’-phosphoadenosine 5’-phosphosulfate as the sulfate donor. Sulfatases that catalyze the desulfation of different sulfoconjugates are known to be deficient in a number of genetic storage disorders.     

A protein purified from pig brain accelerates the intermembranous translocation of mono- and dihexosylceramides,but not the translocation of phospholipids

By the use of an assay that measures the transfer of [³H]galactosylceramide from donor to acceptor liposomes, a protein has been purified 1683-fold from pig brain. The most purified fraction was purified to homogeneity as judged by electrophoresis on 15% polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The protein has a molecular weight of 23000 as determined by the gel electrophoresis and 18500 as estimated by gel filtration through Sephadex G-75. The protein accelerates the transfer of labeled glycolipids at the following relative rates: 100 for glucosylceramide, 43 for lactosylceramide, 17 for galactosyldiglyceride, and 15 for galactosylceramide. The lipid-transfer stimulated by the protein is specific to glycolipids; the protein does not accelerate the transfer of labeled phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine from donor to acceptor liposomes.     

Characterization and mutagenesis of Gal/GlcNAc-6-O-sulfotransferases

The installation of sulfate groups on the carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and glycosaminoglycans is a critical posttranslational modification that occurs in all higher eukaryotes. The Gal/GalNAc/GlcNAc-6-O-sulfotransferases (GSTs) are a recently discovered family of carbohydrate sulfotransferases that share significant sequence homology at the amino acid level and mediate a number of different biological processes such as leukocyte adhesion at sites of chronic inflammation. Structural and mechanistic studies of this family of sulfotransferases have been hindered by the lack of a productive recombinant protein expression system. We developed a baculovirus expression system for five of the seven cloned GSTs and determined their kinetic parameters using both thin-layer chromatography and a recently developed polymer dot-blot assay. We used these tools to perform the first site-directed mutagenesis study of a member of this sulfotransferase family, GST2. Using sequence alignments with other carbohydrate and cytosolic sulfotransferases, we selected residues within the putative binding regions for 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) and the carbohydrate substrate for mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis of the mutants identified residues that are essential for catalytic activity. These results should facilitate mechanistic studies and the development of small molecule inhibitors of this enzyme family to ameliorate chronic inflammatory diseases.     

A continuous assay for the spectrophotometric analysis of sulfotransferases using aryl sulfotransferase IV.

We have developed a continuous spectrophotometric coupled-enzyme assay for sulfotransferase activity. This assay is based on the regeneration of 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) from the desulfated 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphate (PAP) by a recombinant aryl sulfotransferase using p-nitrophenyl sulfate as the sulfate donor and visible spectrophotometric indicator of enzyme turnover. Here recombinant rat aryl sulfotransferase IV (AST-IV) is expressed, resolved to the pure beta-form during purification, and utilized for the regeneration. The activity of betaAST-IV to catalyze the synthesis of PAPS from PAP and p-nitrophenyl sulfate is demonstrated via capillary zone electrophoresis, and the kinetics of this reverse-physiological reaction are calculated. betaAST-IV is then applied to the coupled enzyme system, where the steady-state activity of the commercially available Nod factor sulfotransferase is verified with an enzyme concentration study and substrate-specificity assays of N-chitoses. The potential applications of this assay include rapid kinetic determinations for carbohydrate and protein sulfotransferases, high-throughput screening of potential sulfotransferase substrates and inhibitors, and biomedical screening of blood samples and other tissues for specific sulfotransferase enzyme activity and substrate concentration.     

Sulfation of ractopamine and salbutamol by the human cytosolic sulfotransferases

Feed additives such as ractopamine and salbutamol are pharmacologically active compounds, acting primarily as β-adrenergic agonists. This study was designed to investigate whether the sulfation of ractopamine and salbutamol may occur under the metabolic conditions and to identify the human cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) that are capable of sulfating two major feed additive compounds, ractopamine and salbutamol. A metabolic labelling study showed the generation and release of [(35)S]sulfated ractopamine and salbutamol by HepG2 human hepatoma cells labelled with [(35)S]sulfate in the presence of these two compounds. A systematic analysis using 11 purified human SULTs revealed SULT1A3 as the major SULT responsible for the sulfation of ractopamine and salbutamol. The pH dependence and kinetic parameters were analyzed. Moreover, the inhibitory effects of ractopamine and salbutamol on SULT1A3-mediated dopamine sulfation were investigated. Cytosol or S9 fractions of human lung, liver, kidney and small intestine were examined to verify the presence of ractopamine-/salbutamol-sulfating activity in vivo. Of the four human organs, the small intestine displayed the highest activity towards both compounds. Collectively, these results imply that the sulfation mediated by SULT1A3 may play an important role in the metabolism and detoxification of ractopamine and salbutamol.     

Molecular cloning and expression of chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase

Chondroitin 4-sulfotransferase (C4ST) catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to position 4 of N-acetylgalactosamine residue of chondroitin. The enzyme has been previously purified to apparent homogeneity from the serum-free culture medium of rat chondrosarcoma cells (Yamauchi, A., Hirahara, Y., Usui, H., Takeda, Y., Hoshino, M., Fukuta, M., Kimura, J. H., and Habuchi, O. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 2456-2463). The purified enzyme also catalyzed the sulfation of partially desulfated dermatan sulfate. We have now cloned the cDNA of the mouse C4ST on the basis of the amino acid sequences of peptides obtained from the purified enzyme by protease digestion. This cDNA contains a single open reading frame that predicts a protein composed of 352 amino acid residues. The protein predicts a Type II transmembrane topology. The predicted sequence of the protein contains all of the known amino acid sequence and four potential sites for N-glycosylation, which corresponds to the observation that the purified C4ST is an N-linked glycoprotein. The amino acid sequence of mouse C4ST showed significant sequence homology to HNK-1 sulfotransferase. Comparison of the sequence of mouse C4ST with human HNK-1 sulfotransferase revealed approximately 29% identity and approximately 48% similarity at the amino acid level. When the cDNA was introduced in a eukaryotic expression vector and transfected in COS-7 cells, the sulfotransferase activity that catalyzes the transfer of sulfate to position 4 of GalNAc residue of both chondroitin and desulfated dermatan sulfate was overexpressed. Northern blot analysis showed that, among various mouse adult tissues, 5.7-kilobase message of C4ST was mainly expressed in the brain and kidney.     

Correlation between PAP-dependent steroid binding activity and substrate specificity of mouse and human estrogen sulfotransferases

Estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the sulfoconjugation and inactivation of estrogens using 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as an activated sulfate donor. A finding of undetermined significance in the study of EST has been that the guinea pig EST is able to bind pregnenolone and estradiol with high affinity in the presence of PAP, the reaction by-product of the sulfate donor PAPS. This finding has raised the possibility that EST may have other physiological functions independent of its enzymatic activity as a sulfotransferase. To determine if the PAP-dependent steroid binding activity is a common property shared by other estrogen sulfotransferases, we have expressed the mouse and human EST in bacteria and used the purified protein to address this question. We found that, in the presence of PAP, both recombinant mouse and human EST were able to bind estradiol with high affinity but only the human EST was able to bind pregnenolone. In addition, we show that human but not the mouse EST was also able to bind dehydroepiandrosterone, a property that was not described for the guinea pig EST. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the promiscuity of human EST in steroid binding is mirrored by a correspondingly low substrate specificity in its enzymatic activity as a sulfotransferase. Reversely, the lack of stable binding of pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone by the mouse EST is paralleled by a lack of sulfotransferase activity of this enzyme toward these two steroids. Mutagenesis of mouse EST within a domain critical for PAPS binding abolished both its sulfotransferase and PAP-dependent estrogen binding activity. These data suggest that stable binding of steroids such as pregnenolone or estrogen is not an independent property of estrogen sulfotransferases but rather is related to their catalytic activity.     

Identification of tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase in rat gastric mucosa.

An enzyme activity which catalyzes the transfer of the sulfate group from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to poly-Glu6,Ala3,Tyr1 (EAY; M(r) 47,000) has been demonstrated in the antral and body mucosa of the rat stomach. The distribution of this tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase was similar to that of the Golgi marker enzyme, glycoprotein sulfotransferase, and its activity from body mucosa was 23% higher than that from the antrum. The optimum for tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase activity was obtained at pH 6.8, in the presence of 0.5% Triton X-100, 20 mmol/l MnCl2, 50 mmol/l NaF, 2 mmol/l 5'-AMP, and 1 mmol/l DTT, whereas Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, EDTA, NEM, NaCl and Na2SO4 were inhibitory. The apparent Km of the sulfotransferase for EAY was 1.5 x 10(-6) mol/l and for PAPS 0.75 x 10(-6) mol/l. The enzyme was 28 times less susceptible to 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol inhibition as compared to that required for phenol sulfotransferase inhibition. The tyrosine sulfation by the tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase was independent of the sulfation of carbohydrate residues in mucous glycoproteins and glycolipids, thus indicating that the identified sulfotransferase is specific for sulfation of the tyrosyl residues in the peptide core.     

Purification and properties of succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex from Paracoccus denitrificans

Highly active succinate-ubiquinone reductase has been purified from cytoplasmic membranes of aerobically grown Paracoccus denitrificans. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 100 units per mg protein, and a turnover number of 305 s-1. Succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity of the purified enzyme is inhibited by 3'-methylcarboxin and thenoyltrifluoroacetone. Four subunits, with apparent molecular masses of 64.9, 28.9, 13.4 and 12.5 kDa, were observed on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme contains 5.62 nmol covalently bound flavin and 3.79 nmol cytochrome b per mg protein. The 64.9 kDa subunit was shown to be a flavoprotein by its fluorescence. Polyclonal antibodies raised against this protein cross-reacted with the flavoprotein subunit of bovine heart mitochondrial succinate-ubiquinone reductase. The 28.9 kDa subunit is likely analogous to the bovine heart iron protein, and the cytochrome b heme is probably associated with one or both of the low-molecular-weight polypeptides. The cytochrome b is not reducible with succinate but is reoxidized with fumarate after prereduction with dithionite. Iron-sulfur clusters S-1 and S-3 of the Paracoccus oxidoreductase exhibit EPR spectra very similar to their mitochondrial counterparts. Paracoccus succinate-ubiquinone reductase complex is thus similar to the bovine heart mitochondrial enzyme with respect to prosthetic groups, enzymatic activity, inhibitor sensitivities, and polypeptide subunit composition.     

Expression and activity of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase in human gastric mucosa

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (DHEA-ST) is a key enzyme in the formation of Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and is thought to be involved in the conversion of various substances such as bile acids and cholesterol. The existence of DHEA-ST in the small intestine in addition to the adrenal gland and liver in adult humans was recently reported. As the sulfotransferases can act on toxic or potentially toxic substances to reduce their biological activity, we attempted to clarify the significance of DHEA-ST in gastrointestinal tract. We examined surgically resected human stomach for the presence of DHEA-ST and attempted to determine its possible biological significance. DHEA-ST activity ranged widely from 6 to 84 pmoles/mg protein/90 min in 7 cases. Immunoblotting revealed one single band of a 35-kDa protein corresponding to the moleculr weight of DHEA-ST. Both DHEA-ST immunoreactivity and mRNA hybridization signals were localized in parietal cells of the gastric glands. The results of our present study demonstrated that the sulfation of DHEA by DHEA-ST occurs in the gastric glands. The localization of DHEA-ST in parietal cells suggests that this enzyme is correlated to mucosal function in the human stomach in addition to detoxification of exogenous substances.     

Novel flavonol 3-sulfotransferase. Purification, kinetic properties, and partial amino acid sequence.

A flavonol sulfotransferase (EC 2.8.2.-), which catalyzes the transfer of the sulfate group from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to the 3-hydroxyl group of flavonol aglycones, has been purified to apparent homogeneity from Flaveria chloraefolia. The specific activity of flavonol 3-sulfotransferase was enriched 2000-fold, as compared with the homogenate, with a recovery of 9%. The molecular mass of the native and denatured enzyme was found to be 34.5 kDa, suggesting that the active from of the enzyme is a monomer. The enzyme exhibited expressed specificity for position 3 of flavonol aglycones, showed two activity optima at pH 6.0 and 8.5, did not require divalent cations, and was not inhibited by either EDTA or sulfhydryl group reagents. The results of substrate interaction kinetics and product inhibition are consistent with an Ordered Bi Bi mechanism where 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate is the first substrate to bind to the enzyme and 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate is the final product to be released. The amino acid sequence of two peptides representing 17 and 33 amino acids showed no significant sequence similarity with the amino acid sequences reported for animal sulfotransferases. Antibodies raised against F. chloraefolia 3-sulfotransferase were found to cross-react with the 3'- and 4'-sulfotransferase activities of the same plant, suggesting that the three enzymes are structurally related.