This family consists of several animal galactose-3-O-sulphotransferases, including GAL3ST1-4. GAL3ST1 (also known as Cst, cerebroside sulfotransferase) is responsible for the biosynthesis of two types of sulfoglycolipids, sulfatide (HSO3-3-galactosylceramide) and seminolipid (HSO3-3-monogalactosylalkylacylglycerol), in mammals. It catalyses the sulfation of membrane glycolipids and seems to prefer beta-glycosides at the non-reducing termini of sugar chains attached to a lipid moiety. It also catalyses the synthesis of galactosylceramide sulfate (sulfatide), a major lipid component of the myelin sheath and of monogalactosylalkylacylglycerol sulfate (seminolipid), present in spermatocytes [].
