SULTM gene family

Genes in the SULTM family provide instructions for making enzymes called membrane-bound sulfotransferases. These enzymes carry out a process known as sulfation, in which a sulfur-containing molecule called a sulfate is transferred from one chemical compound to another. Most sulfotransferases get sulfates from a donor molecule called 3'-phosphoadenyl-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS). The enzymes then add the sulfate to a variety of other protein, carbohydrate, and fat (lipid) molecules. Little is known about the molecules that are sulfated by these enzymes, although they probably play important roles in cell growth, signaling within cells, and protein-protein interactions.

Sulfotransferases in this family are described as membrane-bound because they are located in the membrane of a cell structure called the Golgi apparatus. The main function of this structure is to modify newly produced proteins.

Only a few human diseases have been associated with mutations in SULTM genes. For example, CHST3 gene mutations cause a form of skeletal dysplasia characterized by progressive bone and joint abnormalities. Mutations in other SULTM genes can cause abnormalities of the clear front covering of the eye (the cornea), chronic inflammation, and disorders of connective tissue (which normally supports the body's joints and organs).