Sialyltransferase 7A (SIAT7A)

Glycosylation of proteins affects cell-cell interaction, interactions with the matrix, and the functions of intracellular molecules. ST6GALNAC1 transfers a sialic acid, N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc), in an alpha-2,6 linkage to O-linked GalNAc residues. The cancer-associated sialyl-Tn (sTn) antigen is formed by ST6GALNAC1-catalyzed sialylation of GalNAc residues on mucins.STYI-L encodes a deduced 600-amino acid type II membrane protein with a cytoplasmic N terminus, followed by the transmembrane domain, a long stem region, and a catalytic region. Compared with STYI-L, STYI-S lacks 78 amino acids in the catalytic region. Northern blot analysis detected a 2.5-kb transcript in pyloric mucosa, fundic gland mucosa with severe intestinal metaplasia, and normal duodenal mucosa, but not in normal spleen, brain, or pancreas.