Purification to homogeneity of a beta-galactoside alpha2 leads to 3 sialyltransferase and partial purification of an alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminide alpha2 leads to 6 sialyltransferase from porcine submaxillary glands.

Two different sialyltransferases (EC 2.4.99.1) have been resolved from Triton X-100 extracts of porcine submaxillary glands by affinity chromatography on CDP-hexanolamine agarose. The predominant sialyltransferase of this tissue, a CMP-N-acetylneuraminate: alpha-D-N-acetylgalactosaminide alpha2 leads to 6 sialyltransferase, has been obtained in a partially purified and stable form. A less abundant but highly active enzyme, a CMP-N-acetylneuraminate: beta-D-galactoside alpha2 leads to 3 sialyltransferase, was purified over 90,000-fold to homogeneity. Chromatography of the latter enzyme on Sephadex G-200 separated two noninterconverting forms, designated A and B, with Stokes radii of 51 A and 31 A, respectively. Both forms have equal specific activity toward lactose and contain a single polypeptide with a molecular weight of about 50,000 as estimated by gel electrophoresis. Form A appears to bind 1.18 g of Triton X-100 per g of protein, or nearly an entire detergent micelle per polypeptide, while Form B binds little or no detergent. The enzymatic properties of both forms are similar (Rearick, J.I., Sadler, J.E., Paulson, J.C., and Hill, R.L. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 4444-4451) supporting the conclusion that Form A may represent the native sialyltransferase with an intact membrane-binding site, and Form B may be a large proteolytic fragment of Form A.