Abstract
Recent studies using gene-targeted mice have revealed various physiological functions of sulfated glycans. Studies using gene-targeted mice deficient in two sulfotransferases, N-acetylglucosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase (GlcNAc6ST)-1 and GlcNAc6ST-2, showed that these sulfotransferases catalyze sulfation of mucin-like glycoproteins expressed on high endothelial venules (HEVs) in lymph nodes, and play critical roles in lymphocyte homing and immune surveillance. More recent studies using GlcNAc6ST-2-deficeint mice revealed that GlcNAc6ST-2 is expressed not only in lymph node HEVs but also in the colonic epithelial cells in mice, and has protective function in experimental colitis in mice by catalyzing sulfation of the colonic mucins. In this review, the two distinct functions of sulfation of mucins or mucin-like glycoproteins by sulfotransferases in lymph nodes and colon will be discussed.
