Galactosyltransferase from bovine milk

Research area: Cell signalling. Galactosyltransferase(GalT) is found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.Galactosyltransferases belong to the galactosyltransferase family and are anchored to the membrane of Golgi through their N-terminal region.

Galactosyltransferase is the catalytic component of the lactose synthetase system; it synthesizes lactose slowly in the absence of the regulatory protein α-lactalbumin. Galactosyltransferase will also transfer galactose from UDP-galactose to N-acetylglucosamine. This preparation is useful in the determination of α-lactalbumin, UDP-galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine.

Galactosyltransferase from bovine milk has been used:

• in the generation of hyper-galactosylated variant of IgG1
• in β -1,4-galactosyltransferase assay rice root cell extracts
• in the modification of LacNAcQ11 and LacDiNAcQ11 nanofibers

Galactosyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of galactosyl molecules in the synthesis of oligosaccharides.

Galactosyltransferase from bovine milk requires Mn²⁺ ions for its catalytic functionality. Alteration in the galactosyltransferase levels have been implicated in various disease states.Galactosyltransferase(GalT) functions either as a soluble enzyme or as membrane-bound moieties.

Lyophilized powder containing Tris, EDTA, and (NH₄)₂SO₄

One unit will transfer 1.0 μmole of galactose from UDP-galactose to D-glucose per min at pH 8.4 at 30 °C in the presence of 0.2 mg α-lactalbumin per mL of reaction mixture. (without added α-lactalbumin the activity is zero)

This is probably the same enzyme as N-acetyllactosamine synthetase, EC 2.4.1.38 and EC 2.4.1.90.