Oxysterols are substrates for cholesterol sulfotransferase.

Oxysterols constitute a class of cholesterol derivatives that exhibit broad biological effects ranging from cytotoxicity to regulation of nuclear receptors. The role of oxysterols such as 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) in the development of retinal macular degeneration and atheromatous lesions is of particular interest, but little is known of their metabolic fate. We establish that the steroid/sterol sulfotransferase SULT2B1b, known to efficiently sulfonate cholesterol, also effectively sulfonates a variety of oxysterols, including 7-KC.