title: Structure and function of sulfotransferases.
abstract: Sulfotransferases (STs) catalyze the transfer reaction of the sulfate group from the ubiquitous donor 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to an acceptor group of numerous substrates. This reaction, often referred to as sulfuryl transfer, sulfation, or sulfonation, is widely observed from bacteria to humans and plays a key role in various biological processes such as cell communication, growth and development, and defense. The cytosolic STs sulfate small molecules such as steroids, bioamines, and therapeutic drugs, while the Golgi-membrane counterparts sulfate large molecules including glucosaminylglycans and proteins. We have now solved the X-ray crystal structures of four cytosolic and one membrane ST. All five STs are globular proteins composed of a single alpha/beta domain with the characteristic five-stranded beta-sheet. The beta-sheet constitutes the core of the Paps-binding and catalytic sites. Structural analysis of the PAPS-, PAP-, substrate-, and/or orthovanadate (VO(3-)(4))-bound enzymes has also revealed the common molecular mechanism of the transfer reaction catalyzed by sulfotransferses. The X-ray crystal structures have opened a new era for the study of sulfotransferases.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacogenetics Section, Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. negishi@niehs.nih.gov
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Negishi
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petrotchenko
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shevtsov
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorokhov
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakuta
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010724:Phosphoadenosine Phosphosulfate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010724:Phosphoadenosine Phosphosulfate; D015238:Sulfotransferases