We have isolated and sequenced a cDNA that encodes an apparent human orthologue of a rat sulfotransferase (ST) cDNA that has been referred to as "ST1C1"-although it was recently recommended that sulfotransferase proteins and cDNAs be abbreviated "SULT." The new human cDNA was cloned from a fetal liver-spleen cDNA library and had an 888-bp open reading frame. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by the cDNA was 62% identical with that encoded by the rat ST1C1 cDNA and included signature sequences that are conserved in all cytosolic SULT enzymes. Dot blot analysis of mRNA from 50 human tissues indicated that the cDNA was expressed in adult human stomach, kidney, and thyroid, as well as fetal kidney and liver. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the major SULT1C1 mRNA in those same tissues was 1.4 kb in length. We next determined the partial human SULT1C1 gene sequence for a portion of the 5'-terminus of one intron. That sequence was used to design SULT1C1 gene-specific primers that were used to perform the PCR with DNA from human/rodent somatic cell hybrids to demonstrate that the gene was located on chromosome 2. PCR amplifications performed with human chromosome 2/rodent hybrid cell DNA as template sublocalized SULT1C1 to a region between bands 2q11.1 and 2q11.2.