Catalytic subunit of the oligosaccharyl transferase (OST) complex that catalyzes the initial transfer of a defined glycan (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) in eukaryotes) from the lipid carrier dolichol-pyrophosphate to an asparagine residue within an Asn-X-Ser/Thr consensus motif in nascent polypeptide chains, the first step in protein N-glycosylation (, ). N-glycosylation occurs cotranslationally and the complex associates with the Sec61 complex at the channel-forming translocon complex that mediates protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). All subunits are required for a maximal enzyme activity. This subunit contains the active site and the acceptor peptide and donor lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) binding pockets (By similarity). STT3A is present in the majority of OST complexes and mediates cotranslational N-glycosylation of most sites on target proteins, while STT3B-containing complexes are required for efficient post-translational glycosylation and mediate glycosylation of sites that have been skipped by STT3A .
Subcellular locations: Endoplasmic reticulum, Endoplasmic reticulum membrane
Expressed at high levels in placenta, liver, muscle and pancreas, and at very low levels in brain, lung and kidney. Expressed in skin fibroblasts (at protein level).