Arylsulfatase I (ARSI)

Sulfatases (EC 3.1.5.6), such as ARSI, hydrolyze sulfate esters from sulfated steroids, carbohydrates, proteoglycans, and glycolipids. They are involved in hormone biosynthesis, modulation of cell signaling, and degradation of macromolecules.

The deduced 569-amino acid protein has a predicted molecular mass of 64 kD. Northern blot analysis detected high expression of an approximately 4.4-kb transcript in fetal lung, with lower expression in fetal kidney, placenta, and a lung carcinoma cell line; no expression was found in any other normal adult tissue examined. Western blot analysis of HeLa cells expressing epitope-tagged ARSI detected the protein only in the particulate fraction, suggesting ARSI associates with cellular organelles or membrane structures.