Sulfate ester

Natural sulfate esters

Several classes of sulfate esters exist in nature. Especially common are sugar derivatives, the sulfated polysaccharides. Examples include keratan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and the anticoagulant heparin. Post-translational modifications of some proteins entail sulfation, often at the phenol group of tyrosine residues. A steroidal sulfate is estradiol sulfate, a latent precursor to the hormone estrogen.