The 3-
O-sulfonation of glucosamine residues in heparan sulfate (HS) by 3-
O-sulfotransferase(3-
OST) is a key substitution that is present in HS sequences of biological importance, in particular HSanticoagulant activity. Six different isoforms of 3-
OST have been identified that exhibit different substratespecificity. In this paper the affinity and kinetics of the interaction between 3-
O-sulfotransferase isoform1 (3-
OST-1) and HS have been examined using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). 3-
OST-1 binds withmicomolar affinity to HS (
KD = 2.79
M), and this interaction is apparently independent of the presenceof the coenzyme, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS). A conformational change in the complexhas also been detected, supporting data from previous studies. Selected 3-
OST-1 mutants have providedvaluable information of amino acid residues that participate in 3-
OST-1 interaction with HS substrate andits catalytic activity. The results from this study contribute to understanding the substrate specificity amongthe 3-
OST isoforms and in the mechanism of 3-
OST-1-catalyzed biosynthesis of anticoagulant HS.