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Updated: May 10, 2026

Site-Specific Lysine Lactylation via Genetic Code Expansion in E. coli and Mammalian Cells
Published on: February 24, 2026
Arylsulfatase L is a Golgi chondroitin sulfatase regulating skeletal development
Marianna Maddaluno1, Chiara De Leonibus2, Eugenio Del Prete3
1Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Pozzuoli, Italy; Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
Sulfatases are a family of enzymes that hydrolyze sulfate esters from various substrates. Defects, in sulfatase activity, are associated with various human diseases due to the accumulation of sulfated substrates. Deficiency in ARSL, a Golgi sulfatase, is associated with X-linked recessive chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX), a disorder characterized by defects in cartilage and bone development. However, until now, ARSL function has remained unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that ARSL promotes 4-O-desulfation of chondroitin sulfate (CS) during proteoglycan biosynthesis. Chondrocytes lacking ARSL exhibit hypersulfated CS and altered responses to TGF-β stimulation. Loss of function of ARSL orthologous in medaka fish (Ol-Arsd) results in hyper-4-O-sulfated CS, skeletal malformations, and craniofacial defects that partly resemble the human CDPX phenotype. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized step in glycosaminoglycan (GAG) maturation-Golgi-based desulfation-and reveal a new layer of regulatory control in skeletal development.
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