SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) modification is emerging as an important post-translational control in transcription. In general, SUMO modification is associated with transcriptional repression. Although many SUMO-modified transcription factors and co-activators have been identified, little is known about the mechanism underlying SUMOylation-elicited transcriptional repression. Here, we...

The conjugation of the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO to lysine side chains plays widespread roles in the regulation of nuclear protein function. Since little information is available about the roles of SUMO in development, we have screened a collection of chromosomal deficiencies to identify developmental processes regulated by SUMO. We found that flies heterozygous for a deficiency uncovering ve...

SUMOylation contributes to the regulation of many essential cellular factors. Diverse techniques have been used to explore the functional consequences of protein SUMOylation. Most approaches consider the identification of sequences on substrates, adaptors, or receptors regulating the SUMO conjugation, recognition, or deconjugation. The large majority of the studied SUMOylated proteins contain t...

Covalent attachment of ubiquitin (Ub) or SUMO to DNA repair proteins plays critical roles in maintaining genome stability. These structurally related polypeptides can be viewed as distinct road signs, with each being read by specific protein interaction motifs. Therefore, via their interactions with selective readers in the proteome, ubiquitin and SUMO can elicit distinct cellular responses, su...

The reversible post-translational modifier, SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier), modulates the activity of a diverse set of target proteins, resulting in important consequences to the cellular machinery. Conjugation machinery charges the processed SUMO so that it can be linked via an isopeptide bond to a target protein. The removal of SUMO moieties from conjugated proteins by isopeptidases ...

The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a protein that regulates a wide variety of cellular processes by covalent attachment of SUMO moieties to a diverse array of target proteins. Sumoylation also plays an important role in the replication of many viruses. Previously, we showed that Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a SUMO-ligase, K-bZIP, which catalyzes sumoylation of...

Posttranslational modification by the ubiquitin homologue, small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO-1), has been established as an important regulatory mechanism. However, in most cases it is not clear how sumoylation regulates various cellular functions. Emerging evidence suggests that sumoylation may play a general role in regulating protein-protein interactions, as shown in RanBP2/Nup358 and Ra...

The covalent conjugation of SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-related MOdifier) protein to its substrates regulates numerous cellular processes, including protein stability and activity in eukaryotes as well as in plants. In this present review, we summarize biochemical aspects of SUMO conjugation and deconjugation and the functions of SUMO and sumoylation-related proteins in Arabidopsis and other plants. ...

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification of chromatin has profound effects on transcription regulation. By using Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) as a model, we recently demonstrated that epigenetic modification of viral chromatin by SUMO-2/3 is involved in regulating gene expression and viral reactivation. However, how this modification orchestrates transcription reprogr...

Background: The RanBP2 internal repeat domain (IR1-M-IR2) catalyzes SUMO E3 ligase activity and binds SUMO1-RanGAP1/UBC9 at the nuclear pore complex. Results: Biochemistry and structures of RanBP2/SUMO-RanGAP1/UBC9 are presented. Conclusion: IR1 protects RanGAP1SUMO1/UBC9 and functions as the primary E3 ligase of RanBP2, while IR2 interacts with SUMO1 to promote weaker SUMO1-specific E3 ligase ...