Solute Carrier Family 35, Member B4 (SLC35B4)

Glycosyltransferases, such as SLC35B4, transport nucleotide sugars from the cytoplasm where they are synthesized, to the Golgi apparatus where they are utilized in the synthesis of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans.By database analysis, followed by PCR amplification, Ashikov et al. (2005) cloned SLC35B4. The deduced 331-amino acid protein has 10 transmembrane domains and a calculated molecular mass of 37.4 kD. Epitope-tagged SLC35B4 localized to the Golgi apparatus of transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. By assaying Golgi-rich microsomal fractions of transfected yeast cells, Ashikov et al. (2005) showed that SLC35B4 mediated the uptake of both UDP-xylose and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine.