ST3GAL1 and melanoma: Further, ectopic expression of ST3GAL1 in melanoma cells increased the phosphorylation of AXL at residue Tyr702 in the catalytic kinase domain (Fig. 7f), which becomes autophosphorylated in response to AXL activation29, suggesting that ST3GAL1-mediated increased sialylation of AXL could be responsible for its activation.