Sulfation

Since the sulfate group is highly polar, its conjugation to a lipophilic "tail" gives surfacant-like properties.

The reaction proceeds by initial formation of the pyrosulfate: Several million tons of fatty acid sulfates are produced in this way annually.

[6] It is among the reactions in phase II drug metabolism, frequently effective in rendering a xenobiotic less active from a pharmacological and toxicological standpoint, but sometimes playing a role in the activation of xenobiotics (e.g. aromatic amines, methyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

[7] Very limited evidence suggests that the TPST genes are subject to transcriptional regulation and tyrosine O-sulfate is very stable and cannot be easily degraded by mammalian sulfatases.

An antibody called PSG2 shows high sensitivity and specificity for epitopes containing sulfotyrosine independent of the sequence context.

New tools are being developed to study TPST's, using synthetic peptides and small molecule screens.

[9] The evolution of several sulfotransferases appears to have facilitated the adaptation of the terrestrial ancestors of seagrasses to a new marine habitat.