Loss of the sulfate transporter Sic13a4 in placenta causes severe fetal abnormalities and death in mice

Dear Editor, Sulfate is an obligate nutrient for numerous cellular and metabolic processes important for fetal development . Fetal tissues express sulfotransferases which con- jugate sulfate （sulfonate） to molecules such as steroids and hormones, leading to their inactivation . In addi- tion, sulfonation of glycosaminoglycans is important for development of some tissues, as several growth factor gradients and ligand-receptor interactions are dependent on these sulfonated extracellular constituents . Not surprisingly therefore, reduced sulfonation capacity has been linked to disorders of skeletal, eye, vascular and craniofacial development, demonstrating a critical re- quirement for sulfate in these tissues . Despite a fun- damental role for sulfate during development, the fetus appears to have a limited capacity to generate sulfate from sulfur-containing amino acids, and is thought to be reliant on maternal sulfate provision .