Sulfatases are found in lower and higher organisms. In higher organisms they are found in intracellular and extracellular spaces. Steroid sulfatase is distributed in a wide range of tissues throughout the body, enabling sulfated steroids synthesized in the adrenals and gonads to be desulfated following distribution through the circulation system. Many sulfatases are localized in the
lysosome, an acidic digestive organelle found within the cell. Lysosomal sulfatases cleave a range of sulfated carbohydrates including sulfated glycosaminoglycans and
glycolipids. Genetic defects in sulfatase activity can arise through mutations in individual sulfatases and result in certain
lysosomal storage disorders with a spectrum of
phenotypes ranging from defects in physical and intellectual development. ==Three-dimensional structure==