Identification and characterization of a new type of cytosolic sulfotransferase in the silkworm Bombyx mori

Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) are enzymes that play important roles in the detoxification of xenobiotics, as well as in the modulation of endogenous compounds such as steroid hormones by sulfation. In this study, we identified a novel SULT, designated bmSULT, from the silkworm, Bombyx mori. A cDNA encoding bmSULT was cloned by employing the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique. The deduced amino acid sequence of bmSULT showed conserved residues and sequence homology to known SULTs. Quantitative real- time PCR revealed that bmSULT mRNA was abundant in the larval midgut and pupal fat body of B. mori.