Beta-1,4-Galactosyltransferase 6 (b4GALT6)

The enzyme galactosyltransferase catalyzes the reaction involving UDP-galactose and N-acetylglucosamine for the production of galactose beta-1,4-N-acetylglucosamine. In addition to a biosynthetic role, galactosyltransferases may be components of plasma membranes where they may function in intercellular recognition and/or adhesion.

Lo et al. (1998) cloned 5 homologs of B4GALT1, including B4GALT6. The B4GALT6 cDNA encodes a 382-amino acid polypeptide containing a single transmembrane domain, a catalytic domain, and potential glycosylation sites. B4GALT6 is most closely related to B4GALT5, sharing 68% amino acid identity. Northern blot analysis revealed that B4GALT6 is expressed as a 7.0-kb mRNA in several human tissues.