Characterization of a Thyroid Sulfotransferase Responsible for the 3-O-Sulfation of Terminal β-D-Galactosyl Residues in N-Linked Carbohydrate Units

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Calf thyroid microsomes were found to contain an enzyme which catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phospho[35S]sulfate (PAPS) to C-3 of terminal galactose residues in beta 1----4 linkage to GlcNAc. This sulfotransferase is believed to be involved in the biosynthesis of the recently described Gal(3-SO4) capping groups present in the N-linked oligosaccharides of thyroglobulin (Spiro, R.G., and Bhoyroo, V. D. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 14351-14358). Assays with various native and modified glycopeptides indicated that the enzyme acted optimally on complex-type carbohydrate units in which beta-linked Gal has been uncovered by desulfation or brought into a terminal position by removal of sialyl and/or alpha-galactosyl residues. With fetuin asialoglycopeptides as acceptors (Km = 0.1 mM) the transfer of sulfate from PAPS (Km = 6.3 microM) had a pH optimum of approximately 7.0, required Mn2+ ions (10-50 mM) and was markedly stimulated by Triton X-100 (0.1%) and ATP (2 mM). The same enzyme apparently sulfated free N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc; Km = 0.69 mM) and its ethyl glycoside, indicating that it had no absolute requirement for a peptide recognition site. Studies with a number of disaccharides related to LacNAc provided information relating to the specifying role of the beta 1----4 galactosyl linkage and the configuration at C-2 of the sugar to which it is attached. Hydrazine-nitrous acid-NaBH4 treatment of the 35S-labeled products from sulfotransferase action on asialoglycopeptides as well as on the ethyl glycoside of LacNAc yielded the same disaccharide, Gal(3-SO4) beta 1----4 anhydromannitol, as is obtained from a similar treatment of thyroglobulin. Subcellular distribution studies indicated that the PAPS:galactose 3-O-sulfotransferase is located in the Golgi compartment which is consistent with the late occurrence of the requisite beta-galactosylation step. It is proposed that in certain tissues the ultimate nature of the capping groups attached to glycoproteins containing terminal Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc sequences could be the result of a competition between this 3-O-sulfotransferase and sialyl- and/or alpha-galactosyltransferases.