Background of the antigen
Sulfation is an essential conjugation reaction that increases the water solubility of many compounds, thereby influencing their renal excretion and also resulting in the formation of active metabolites. SULT4A1 (sulfotransferase family 4A, member 1), whose alternative names include brain sulfotransferase-like protein, nervous system sulfotransferase, NST, SULTX3, hBR-STL-1, BRSTL1, BR-STL-1, MGC40032 and DJ388M5.3, is a 284 amino acid protein showing cytoplasmic localization. As a member of the sulfotransferase 1 family, SULT4A1 plays a role in elimination of xenobiotics, activation of procarcinogens and regulation of hormones. SULT4A1 is highly expressed in cerebral cortex and frontal lobe, with lower expression in cerebellum, temporal and occipital lobes. Two SULT4A1 isoforms exist to alternative splicing events. The gene encoding SULT4A1 maps to human chromosome 22q13.2, a region which has been implicated in predisposition to schizophrenia.
