N-Deacetylase/N-Sulfotransferase 2 (NDST2)

The initial step in the processing of heparan polymers to heparan sulfate or heparin is N-deacetylation/N-sulfation. This step is catalyzed by heparan N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferases. The predicted 883-amino acid protein is 70% similar to NDST1. Analysis of genomic clones revealed that the NDST2 gene contains 13 exons spanning 6.5 kb. The 12 introns that interrupt the coding region occur at similar sites within the coding sequence of NDST1.

Mast cells developed from the bone marrow of the Ndst2 -/- mice contained high levels of various protease transcripts and had substantial amounts of mast-cell protease-6 protein in their granules. However, they failed to express mast-cell protease-5 and mast-cell carboxypeptidase A.