Colonic bacterial sulfatase

Colonic bacterial sulfatases are enzymes produced by the gut microbiota, particularly members of the Bacteroidetes phylum like Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, that catalyze the removal of sulfate groups from mucin O-glycans (PubMed: 25533952). This desulfation is a rate-limiting step in the degradation of the colonic mucus layer, which serves as a critical physical barrier between the host and the luminal environment (PubMed: 30301808). In conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, elevated levels of these enzymes lead to a thinned mucus layer, promoting intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis (PubMed: 11519011). These enzymes are considered promising therapeutic targets because their inhibition could prevent the breakdown of the protective barrier and reduce the exposure of the intestinal epithelium to inflammatory stimuli. Research is currently focused on identifying selective small-molecule inhibitors that can target these bacterial enzymes without interfering with human sulfatases (PubMed: 33432153).

Other names

Gut microbial sulfataseMucin-desulfating enzymeBacterial arylsulfataseMicrobial sulfatase

Inhibition of bacterial sulfatase activity to prevent the degradation of the colonic mucus layer and maintain intestinal barrier integrity.