Sulfotransferases and sulfatases in mycobacteria

Analysis of the genomes of M. tuberculosis, M. leprae, M. smegmatis, and M. avium has revealed a large family of genes homologous to known sulfotransferases. Despite reports detailing a suite of sulfated glycolipids in many mycobacteria, a corresponding family of sulfotransferase genes remains uncharacterized. Here, a sequence-based analysis of newly discovered mycobacterial sulfotransferase genes, named stf1-stf10, is presented. Interestingly, two sulfotransferase genes are highly similar to mammalian sulfotransferases, increasing the list of mycobacterial eukaryotic-like protein families. The sulfotransferases join an equally complex family of mycobacterial sulfatases: a large family of sulfatase genes has been found in all of the mycobacterial genomes examined. As sulfated molecules are common mediators of cell-cell interactions, the sulfotransferases and sulfatases may be involved in regulating host-pathogen interactions.