CHST1 and CHST2 sulfotransferases expressed by human vascular endothelial cells: cDNA cloning, expression, and chromosomal localization.

Sulfation is essential for the generation of functional vascular endothelial cell ligands for the leukocyte adhesion molecule, L-selectin. Therefore, human vascular endothelium cDNA libraries were screened to identify sulfotransferases homologous to chicken chondroitin 6-sulfotransferase (C6ST). Two sulfotransferases were identified: CHST2, a novel 530-amino-acid sulfotransferase with a carboxyl-terminal region that was 45 and 43% homologous with those of human and chicken C6ST, respectively, and CHST1, which was identical to human C6ST. Northern blot analysis showed that CHST2 was broadly expressed among tissues. The CHST2 gene mapped to human chromosome 3q24 close to 3q25. Thus, this study identified two sulfotransferases expressed by vascular endothelial cells that may contribute to the generation of L-selectin ligands during inflammatory responses.