The protein encoded by this gene is a type II membrane protein that catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid from CMP-sialic acid to galactose-containing substrates. The encoded protein, which is normally found in the Golgi but which can be proteolytically processed to a soluble form, is involved in the generation of the cell-surface carbohydrate determinants and differentiation antigens HB-6, CDw75, and CD76. This protein is a member of glycosyltransferase family 29. Three transcript variants encoding two different isoforms have been found for this gene.[6]
Transcripts of ST6GAL1 are found in mouse high endothelial cells of mesenteric lymph node and Peyer's patches, and it could be involved in the B cell homing to Peyer's patches.[7] ST6GAL1 expression has also shown to be upregulated in several types of cancers and has been shown to haves roles in cancer survival and metastasis.[8]
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Rabouille C, Hui N, Hunte F, et al. (1995). "Mapping the distribution of Golgi enzymes involved in the construction of complex oligosaccharides". J. Cell Sci. 108. ( Pt 4) (4): 1617–27. doi:10.1242/jcs.108.4.1617. PMID7615680.1617-27&rft.date=1995&rft_id=info:doi/10.1242/jcs.108.4.1617&rft_id=info:pmid/7615680&rft.aulast=Rabouille&rft.aufirst=C&rft.au=Hui, N&rft.au=Hunte, F&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">
Aasheim HC, Aas-Eng DA, Deggerdal A, et al. (1993). "Cell-specific expression of human beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase transcripts differing in the 5' untranslated region". Eur. J. Biochem. 213 (1): 467–75. doi:10.1111/j.1432-1033.1993.tb17783.x. PMID8477718.467-75&rft.date=1993&rft_id=info:doi/10.1111/j.1432-1033.1993.tb17783.x&rft_id=info:pmid/8477718&rft.aulast=Aasheim&rft.aufirst=HC&rft.au=Aas-Eng, DA&rft.au=Deggerdal, A&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">
Andersson B, Wentland MA, Ricafrente JY, et al. (1996). "A "double adaptor" method for improved shotgun library construction". Anal. Biochem. 236 (1): 107–13. doi:10.1006/abio.1996.0138. PMID8619474.107-13&rft.date=1996&rft_id=info:doi/10.1006/abio.1996.0138&rft_id=info:pmid/8619474&rft.aulast=Andersson&rft.aufirst=B&rft.au=Wentland, MA&rft.au=Ricafrente, JY&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">
Lo NW, Lau JT (1996). "Novel heterogeneity exists in the 5'-untranslated region of the beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialytransferase mRNAs in the human B-lymphoblastoid cell line, louckes". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 228 (2): 380–5. doi:10.1006/bbrc.1996.1670. PMID8920923.380-5&rft.date=1996&rft_id=info:doi/10.1006/bbrc.1996.1670&rft_id=info:pmid/8920923&rft.aulast=Lo&rft.aufirst=NW&rft.au=Lau, JT&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">
Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH, et al. (2003). "Generation and initial analysis of more than 15,000 full-length human and mouse cDNA sequences". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99 (26): 16899–903. Bibcode:2002PNAS...9916899M. doi:10.1073/pnas.242603899. PMC139241. PMID12477932.16899-903&rft.date=2003&rft_id=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC139241#id-name=PMC&rft_id=info:pmid/12477932&rft_id=info:doi/10.1073/pnas.242603899&rft_id=info:bibcode/2002PNAS...9916899M&rft.aulast=Strausberg&rft.aufirst=RL&rft.au=Feingold, EA&rft.au=Grouse, LH&rft_id=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC139241&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">
Szabo R, Skropeta D, et al. (2017). "Advancement of Sialyltransferase Inhibitors: Therapeutic Challenges and Opportunities". Med. Res. Rev. 37 (2): 210–270. doi:10.1002/med.21407. PMID27678392. S2CID26280291.210-270&rft.date=2017&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:26280291#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:pmid/27678392&rft_id=info:doi/10.1002/med.21407&rft.aulast=Szabo&rft.aufirst=R&rft.au=Skropeta, D&rft_id=http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5226&context=smhpapers&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:ST6GAL1" class="Z3988">