Site-Specific Identification of SUMO-2 Targets in Cells Reveals an Inverted SUMOylation Motif and a Hydrophobic Cluster SUMOylation Motif

Sumoylation promotes optimal APC/C Activation and Timely Anaphase

The Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) is a ubiquitin E3 ligase that functions as the gatekeeper to mitotic exit. APC/C activity is controlled by an interplay of multiple pathways during mitosis, including the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), that are not yet fully understood. Here, we show that sumoylation of the APC4 subunit of the APC/C peaks during mitosis and is critical for timely APC/C activation and anaphase onset. We have also identified a functionally important SUMO interacting motif in the cullin-homology domain of APC2 located near the APC4 sumoylation sites and APC/C catalytic core. Our findings provide evidence of an important regulatory role for SUMO modification and binding in affecting APC/C activation and mitotic exit.

Biochemical and Mass Spectrometry-Based Approaches to Profile SUMOylation in Human Cells

Posttranslational modification of proteins with the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates protein function in the context of cell cycle and DNA repair. The occurrence of SUMOylation is less frequent as compared to protein modification with ubiquitin, and appears to be controlled by a smaller pool of conjugating and deconjugating enzymes. Mass spectrometry has been instrumental in defining specific as well as proteome-wide views of SUMO-dependent biological processes, and several methodological approaches have been developed in the recent past. Here, we provide an overview of the latest experimental approaches to the study of SUMOylation, and also describe hands-on protocols using a combination of biochemistry and mass spectrometry-based technologies to profile proteins that are SUMOylated in human cells.

Purification of SUMO Conjugates from Arabidopsis for Mass Spectrometry Analysis

The posttranslational modification of proteins with small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) is a rapid, robust, and reversible mechanism that impacts a host of eukaryotic processes important to both normal cellular functions and survival during various abiotic and biotic challenges. Essential to defining the breadth of events impacted by SUMOylation is the development of full catalogues of protein targets. Here, we describe a stringent affinity method to purify native SUMO conjugates from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana based on the expression of modified SUMOs bearing epitope tags. When combined with standard and quantitative mass spectrometric methods, deep datasets of SUMOylated proteins can be acquired. Functional analysis of these lists links SUMO to numerous regulatory events, with an emphasis on those associated with transcription, DNA replication and repair, and chromatin assembly/accessibility.

Concepts and Methodologies to Study Protein SUMOylation: An Overview

Protein modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) was simultaneously discovered by several groups at the middle of the 1990s. Although distinct names were proposed including Sentrin, GMP1, PIC1, or SMT3, SUMO became the most popular. Early studies on the functions of SUMOylation focused on activities in the nucleus, including transcription activation, chromatin structure, and DNA repair. However, it is now recognized that SUMOylation affects a large diversity of cellular processes both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm and functions of SUMOylation appear to have undefined limits. SUMO-conjugating enzymes and specific proteases actively regulate the modification status of target proteins. The recent discoveries of ubiquitin-SUMO hybrid chains, multiple SUMO-interacting motifs, and macromolecular complexes regulated by SUMOylation underscore the high complexity of this dynamic reversible system. New conceptual frameworks suggested by these findings have motivated the development of new methodologies to study pre- and post-SUMOylation events in vitro and in vivo, using distinct model organisms. Here we summarize some of the new developments and methodologies in the field, particularly those that will be further elaborated on in the chapters integrating this book.

The Regulation of Chromatin by Dynamic SUMO Modifications

Protein modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) protein regulates numerous cellular pathways and mounting evidence reveals a critical role for SUMO in modulating gene expression. Dynamic sumoylation of transcription factors, chromatin-modifying enzymes, histones, and other chromatin-associated factors significantly affects the transcriptional status of the eukaryotic genome. Recent studies have employed high-throughput ChIP-Seq analyses to gain clues regarding the role of the SUMO pathway in regulating chromatin-based transactions. Indeed, the global distribution of SUMO across chromatin reveals an important function for SUMO in controlling transcription, particularly of genes involved in protein synthesis. These newly appreciated patterns of genome-wide sumoylation will inform more directed studies aimed at analyzing how the dynamics of gene expression are controlled by posttranslational SUMO modification.

PTMscape: an open source tool to predict generic post-translational modifications and map modification crosstalk in protein domains and biological processes

PTMscape predicts PTM sites using descriptors of sequence and physico-chemical microenvironment, and tests enrichment of single or pairs of PTMs in protein domains.

While tandem mass spectrometry can detect post-translational modifications (PTM) at the proteome scale, reported PTM sites are often incomplete and include false positives. Computational approaches can complement these datasets by additional predictions, but most available tools use prediction models pre-trained for single PTM type by the developers and it remains a difficult task to perform large-scale batch prediction for multiple PTMs with flexible user control, including the choice of training data. We developed an R package called PTMscape which predicts PTM sites across the proteome based on a unified and comprehensive set of descriptors of the physico-chemical microenvironment of modified sites, with additional downstream analysis modules to test enrichment of individual or pairs of PTMs in protein domains. PTMscape is flexible in the ability to process any major modifications, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, while achieving the sensitivity and specificity comparable to single-PTM methods and outperforming other multi-PTM tools. Applying this framework, we expanded proteome-wide coverage of five major PTMs affecting different residues by prediction, especially for lysine and arginine modifications. Using a combination of experimentally acquired sites (PSP) and newly predicted sites, we discovered that the crosstalk among multiple PTMs occur more frequently than by random chance in key protein domains such as histone, protein kinase, and RNA recognition motifs, spanning various biological processes such as RNA processing, DNA damage response, signal transduction, and regulation of cell cycle. These results provide a proteome-scale analysis of crosstalk among major PTMs and can be easily extended to other types of PTM.

Molecular mechanism of K65 acetylation-induced attenuation of Ubc9 and the NDSM interaction

The negatively charged amino acid-dependent sumoylation motif (NDSM) carries an additional stretch of acidic residues downstream of the consensus Ψ-K-x-E/D sumoylation motif. We have previously shown that acetylation of the SUMO E2 conjugase enzyme, Ubc9, at K65 downregulates its binding to the NDSM and renders a selective decrease in sumoylation of substrates with the NDSM motif. Here, we provide detailed structural, thermodynamic, and kinetics results of the interactions between Ubc9 and its K65 acetylated variant (Ac-Ubc9_K65) with three NDSMs derived from Elk1, CBP, and Calpain2 to rationalize the mechanism beneath this reduced binding. Our nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data rule out a direct interaction between the NDSM and the K65 residue of Ubc9. Similarly, we found that NDSM binding was entropy-driven and unlikely to be affected by the negative charge by K65 acetylation. Moreover our NMR, mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulation studies defined the sequence of the NDSM as Ψ-K-x-E/D-x₁-x₂-(x₃/E/D)-(x₄/E/D)-x_n and determined that K74 and K76 were critical Ubc9 residues interacting with the negatively charged residues of the NDSM.

Targeting Oncogenic Transcription Factors: Therapeutic Implications of Endogenous STAT Inhibitors

Misregulation of transcription factors, including signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins, leads to inappropriate gene expression patterns that can promote tumor initiation and progression. Under physiologic conditions, STAT signaling is stimulus dependent and tightly regulated by endogenous inhibitors, namely, suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins, phosphatases, and protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS) proteins. However, in tumorigenesis, STAT proteins become constitutively active and promote the expression of progrowth and prosurvival genes. Although STAT activation has been widely implicated in cancer, therapeutic STAT inhibitors are still largely absent from the clinic. This review dissects the mechanisms of action of two families of endogenous STAT inhibitors, the SOCS and PIAS families, to potentially inform the development of novel therapeutic inhibitors.

SUMO conjugation to spliceosomal proteins is required for efficient pre-mRNA splicing

Pre-mRNA splicing is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a multi-megadalton ribonucleoprotein machine. Previous work from our laboratory revealed the splicing factor SRSF1 as a regulator of the SUMO pathway, leading us to explore a connection between this pathway and the splicing machinery. We show here that addition of a recombinant SUMO-protease decreases the efficiency of pre-mRNA splicing in vitro. By mass spectrometry analysis of anti-SUMO immunoprecipitated proteins obtained from purified splicing complexes formed along the splicing reaction, we identified spliceosome-associated SUMO substrates. After corroborating SUMOylation of Prp3 in cultured cells, we defined Lys 289 and Lys 559 as bona fide SUMO attachment sites within this spliceosomal protein. We further demonstrated that a Prp3 SUMOylation-deficient mutant while still capable of interacting with U4/U6 snRNP components, is unable to co-precipitate U2 and U5 snRNA and the spliceosomal proteins U2-SF3a120 and U5-Snu114. This SUMOylation-deficient mutant fails to restore the splicing of different pre-mRNAs to the levels achieved by the wild type protein, when transfected into Prp3-depleted cultured cells. This mutant also shows a diminished recruitment to active spliceosomes, compared to the wild type protein. These findings indicate that SUMO conjugation plays a role during the splicing process and suggest the involvement of Prp3 SUMOylation in U4/U6•U5 tri-snRNP formation and/or recruitment.

Regulation of tRNA synthesis by posttranslational modifications of RNA polymerase III subunits

RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII) transcribes tRNA genes, 5S RNA as well as a number of other non-coding RNAs. Because transcription by RNAPIII is an energy-demanding process, its activity is tightly linked to the stress levels and nutrient status of the cell. Multiple signaling pathways control RNAPIII activity in response to environmental cues, but exactly how these pathways regulate RNAPIII is still poorly understood. One major target of these pathways is the transcriptional repressor Maf1, which inhibits RNAPIII activity under conditions that are detrimental to cell growth. However, recent studies have found that the cell can also directly regulate the RNAPIII machinery through phosphorylation and sumoylation of RNAPIII subunits. In this review we summarize post-translational modifications of RNAPIII subunits that mainly have been identified in large-scale proteomics studies, and we highlight several examples to discuss their relevance for regulation of RNAPIII.

SUMOylation regulates nuclear accumulation and signaling activity of the soluble intracellular domain of the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase

Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 (ErbB4) is a kinase that can signal via a proteolytically released intracellular domain (ICD) in addition to classical receptor tyrosine kinase-activated signaling cascades. Previously, we have demonstrated that ErbB4 ICD is posttranslationally modified by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) and functionally interacts with the PIAS3 SUMO E3 ligase. However, direct evidence of SUMO modification in ErbB4 signaling has remained elusive. Here, we report that the conserved lysine residue 714 in the ErbB4 ICD undergoes SUMO modification, which was reversed by sentrin-specific proteases (SENPs) 1, 2, and 5. Although ErbB4 kinase activity was not necessary for the SUMOylation, the SUMOylated ErbB4 ICD was tyrosine phosphorylated to a higher extent than unmodified ErbB4 ICD. Mutation of the SUMOylation site compromised neither ErbB4-induced phosphorylation of the canonical signaling pathway effectors Erk1/2, Akt, or STAT5 nor ErbB4 stability. In contrast, SUMOylation was required for nuclear accumulation of the ErbB4 ICD. We also found that Lys-714 was located within a leucine-rich stretch, which resembles a nuclear export signal, and could be inactivated by site-directed mutagenesis. Furthermore, SUMOylation modulated the interaction of ErbB4 with chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1), the major nuclear export receptor for proteins. Finally, the SUMO acceptor lysine was functionally required for ErbB4 ICD-mediated inhibition of mammary epithelial cell differentiation in a three-dimensional cell culture model. Our findings indicate that a SUMOylation-mediated mechanism regulates nuclear localization and function of the ICD of ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase.

Identification of SUMO conjugation sites in the budding yeast proteome

Post-translational modification by the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is an important mechanism regulating protein function. Identification of SUMO conjugation sites on substrates is a challenging task. Here we employed a proteomic method to map SUMO acceptor lysines in budding yeast proteins. We report the identification of 257 lysine residues where SUMO is potentially attached. Amongst the hits, we identified already known SUMO substrates and sites, confirming the success of the approach. In addition, we tested several of the novel substrates using SUMO immunoprecipitation analysis and confirmed that the SUMO acceptor lysines identified in these proteins are indeed bona fide SUMOylation sites. We believe that the collection of SUMO sites presented here is an important resource for future functional studies of SUMOylation in yeast.

Functions of SUMO in the Maintenance of Genome Stability

Like in most other areas of cellular metabolism, the functions of the ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO in the maintenance of genome stability are manifold and varied. Perturbations of global sumoylation causes a wide spectrum of phenotypes associated with defects in DNA maintenance, such as hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents, gross chromosomal rearrangements and loss of entire chromosomes. Consistent with these observations, many key factors involved in various DNA repair pathways have been identified as SUMO substrates. However, establishing a functional connection between a given SUMO target, the cognate SUMO ligase and a relevant phenotype has remained a challenge, mainly because of the difficulties involved in identifying important modification sites and downstream effectors that specifically recognize the target in its sumoylated state. This review will give an overview over the major pathways of DNA repair and genome maintenance influenced by the SUMO system and discuss selected examples of SUMO's actions in these pathways where the biological consequences of the modification have been elucidated.

DeSUMOylation of Gli1 by SENP1 Attenuates Sonic Hedgehog Signaling

The transcriptional output of the Sonic Hedgehog morphogenic pathway is orchestrated by three Krüppel family transcription factors, Gli1 to -3, which undergo extensive posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination and SUMOylation. Here, we report that the sentrin-specific peptidase SENP1 is the specific deSUMOylation enzyme for Gli1. We show that SUMOylation stabilizes Gli1 by competing with ubiquitination at conserved lysine residues and that SUMOylated Gli1 is enriched in the nucleus, suggesting that SUMOylation is a nuclear localization signal for Gli1. Finally, we show that small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of SENP1 augments the ability of Shh to sustain the proliferation of cerebellar granule cell precursors, demonstrating the physiological significance of the negative regulation of Shh signaling by SENP1.

Quantitative time-resolved chemoproteomics reveals that stable O-GlcNAc regulates box C/D snoRNP biogenesis

O-linked GlcNAcylation (O-GlcNAcylation), a ubiquitous posttranslational modification on intracellular proteins, is dynamically regulated in cells. To analyze the turnover dynamics of O-GlcNAcylated proteins, we developed a quantitative time-resolved O-linked GlcNAc proteomics (qTOP) strategy based on metabolic pulse-chase labeling with an O-GlcNAc chemical reporter and stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC). Applying qTOP, we quantified the turnover rates of 533 O-GlcNAcylated proteins in NIH 3T3 cells and discovered that about 14% exhibited minimal removal of O-GlcNAc or degradation of protein backbones. The stability of those hyperstable O-GlcNAcylated proteins was more sensitive to O-GlcNAcylation inhibition compared with the more dynamic populations. Among the hyperstable population were three core proteins of box C/D small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein complexes (snoRNPs): fibrillarin (FBL), nucleolar protein 5A (NOP56), and nucleolar protein 5 (NOP58). We showed that O-GlcNAcylation stabilized these proteins and was essential for snoRNP assembly. Blocking O-GlcNAcylation on FBL altered the 2'-O-methylation of rRNAs and impaired cancer cell proliferation and tumor formation in vivo.

DNA end resection requires constitutive sumoylation of CtIP by CBX4

DNA breaks are complex DNA lesions that can be repaired by two alternative mechanisms: non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination. The decision between them depends on the activation of the DNA resection machinery, which blocks non-homologous end-joining and stimulates recombination. On the other hand, post-translational modifications play a critical role in DNA repair. We have found that the SUMO E3 ligase CBX4 controls resection through the key factor CtIP. Indeed, CBX4 depletion impairs CtIP constitutive sumoylation and DNA end processing. Importantly, mutating lysine 896 in CtIP recapitulates the CBX4-depletion phenotype, blocks homologous recombination and increases genomic instability. Artificial fusion of CtIP and SUMO suppresses the effects of both the non-sumoylatable CtIP mutant and CBX4 depletion. Mechanistically, CtIP sumoylation is essential for its recruitment to damaged DNA. In summary, sumoylation of CtIP at lysine 896 defines a subpopulation of the protein that is involved in DNA resection and recombination.

The choice between non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination to repair a DNA double-strand break depends on activation of the end resection machinery. Here the authors show that SUMO E3 ligase CBX4 sumoylates subpopulation of CtIP to regulate recruitment to breaks and resection.

SUMO-triggered ubiquitination of NR4A1 controls macrophage cell death

Nuclear receptor NR4A1 has been implicated as a key regulator in a wide range of pathophysiological responses. As an immediate early response gene, NR4A1 can be rapidly and potently induced by a variety of stimuli. Its induction is followed by its rapid degradation, but the mechanism by which NR4A1 is degraded remains poorly understood. Here we show that nuclear receptor NR4A1 is sumoylated by SUMO2/3. Upon poly-SUMO modification, NR4A1 can be targeted by the SUMO-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF4 for polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation. The SUMO E3 ligase PIAS3 promotes SUMOylation and polyubiquitination of NR4A1, while the SUMO protease SENP1 acts to de-conjugate SUMO. We demonstrate that this pathway is important for rapid degradation of NR4A1 after induced by stress. Moreover, we identify two SUMO modification sites in NR4A1 that are critical for maintaining low levels of NR4A1 expression. Mutation of these two NR4A1 SUMO modification sites enhances the stability of NR4A1. Importantly, we show that SUMOylation is critical in controlling NR4A1 function in inflammatory cytokine signaling and controlling macrophage cell death. SUMOylation and subsequent ubiquitination on NR4A1 mitigates its inhibition of innate immune signaling, such as TNF-α- and IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation. This mechanism of sequential SUMOylation and ubiquitination, which together control the degradation of NR4A1, could be exploited for the therapeutic treatment of diseases with NR4A1 involvement.

Ubiquitylation of the acetyltransferase MOF in Drosophila melanogaster

The nuclear acetyltransferase MOF (KAT8 in mammals) is a subunit of at least two multi-component complexes involved in transcription regulation. In the context of complexes of the ‘Non-Specific-Lethal’ (NSL) type it controls transcription initiation of many nuclear housekeeping genes and of mitochondrial genes. While this function is conserved in metazoans, MOF has an additional, specific function in Drosophila in the context of dosage compensation. As a subunit of the male-specific-lethal dosage compensation complex (MSL-DCC) it contributes to the doubling of transcription output from the single male X chromosome by acetylating histone H4. Proper dosage compensation requires finely tuned levels of MSL-DCC and an appropriate distribution of MOF between the regulatory complexes. The amounts of DCC formed depends directly on the levels of the male-specific MSL2, which orchestrates the assembly of the DCC, including MOF recruitment. We found earlier that MSL2 is an E3 ligase that ubiquitylates most MSL proteins, including MOF, suggesting that ubiquitylation may contribute to a quality control of MOF’s overall levels and folding state as well as its partitioning between the complex entities. We now used mass spectrometry to map the lysines in MOF that are ubiquitylated by MSL2 in vitro and identified in vivo ubiquitylation sites of MOF in male and female cells. MSL2-specific ubiquitylation in vivo could not be traced due to the dominance of other, sex-independent ubiquitylation events and conceivably may be rare or transient. Expressing appropriately mutated MOF derivatives we assessed the importance of the ubiquitylated lysines for dosage compensation by monitoring DCC formation and X chromosome targeting in cultured cells, and by genetic complementation of the male-specific-lethal mof² allele in flies. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of MOF ubiquitylation as a reference for future studies.

Protein post-translational modifications: In silico prediction tools and molecular modeling

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) occur in almost all proteins and play an important role in numerous biological processes by significantly affecting proteins' structure and dynamics. Several computational approaches have been developed to study PTMs (e.g., phosphorylation, sumoylation or palmitoylation) showing the importance of these techniques in predicting modified sites that can be further investigated with experimental approaches. In this review, we summarize some of the available online platforms and their contribution in the study of PTMs. Moreover, we discuss the emerging capabilities of molecular modeling and simulation that are able to complement these bioinformatics methods, providing deeper molecular insights into the biological function of post-translational modified proteins.

Proteome-wide Mapping of Endogenous SUMOylation Sites in Mouse Testis

SUMOylation is a reversible post-translational modification involved in various critical biological processes. To date, there is limited approach for endogenous wild-type SUMO-modified peptides enrichment and SUMOylation sites identification. In this study, we generated a high-affinity SUMO1 antibody to facilitate the enrichment of endogenous SUMO1-modified peptides from Trypsin/Lys-C protease digestion. Following secondary Glu-C protease digestion, we identified 53 high-confidence SUMO1-modified sites from mouse testis by using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics analyses showed that SUMO1-modified proteins were enriched in transcription regulation and DNA repair. Nab1 was validated to be an authentic SUMOylated protein and Lys⁴⁷⁹ was identified to be the major SUMOylation site. The SUMOylation of Nab1 enhanced its interaction with HDAC2 and maintained its inhibitory effect on EGR1 transcriptional activity. Therefore, we provided a novel approach to investigating endogenous SUMOylation sites in tissue samples.

SUMO conjugation - a mechanistic view

The regulation of protein fate by modification with the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) plays an essential and crucial role in most cellular pathways. Sumoylation is highly dynamic due to the opposing activities of SUMO conjugation and SUMO deconjugation. SUMO conjugation is performed by the hierarchical action of E1, E2 and E3 enzymes, while its deconjugation involves SUMO-specific proteases. In this review, we summarize and compare the mechanistic principles of how SUMO gets conjugated to its substrate. We focus on the interplay of the E1, E2 and E3 enzymes and discuss how specificity could be achieved given the limited number of conjugating enzymes and the thousands of substrates.

Uncovering the SUMOylation and ubiquitylation crosstalk in human cells using sequential peptide immunopurification

Crosstalk between the SUMO and ubiquitin pathways has recently been reported. However, no approach currently exists to determine the interrelationship between these modifications. Here, we report an optimized immunoaffinity method that permits the study of both protein ubiquitylation and SUMOylation from a single sample. This method enables the unprecedented identification of 10,388 SUMO sites in HEK293 cells. The sequential use of SUMO and ubiquitin remnant immunoaffinity purification facilitates the dynamic profiling of SUMOylated and ubiquitylated proteins in HEK293 cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Quantitative proteomic analyses reveals crosstalk between substrates that control protein degradation, and highlights co-regulation of SUMOylation and ubiquitylation levels on deubiquitinase enzymes and the SUMOylation of proteasome subunits. The SUMOylation of the proteasome affects its recruitment to promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies, and PML lacking the SUMO interacting motif fails to colocalize with SUMOylated proteasome further demonstrating that this motif is required for PML catabolism.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Functional Associations of PTMs

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are an important source of protein regulation; they fine-tune the function, localization, and interaction with other molecules of the majority of proteins and are partially responsible for their multifunctionality. Usually, proteins have several potential modification sites, and their patterns of occupancy are associated with certain functional states. These patterns imply cross talk among PTMs within and between proteins, the majority of which are still to be discovered. Several methods detect associations between PTMs; these have recently combined into a global resource, the PTMcode database, which contains already known and predicted functional associations between pairs of PTMs from more than 45,000 proteins in 19 eukaryotic species.

Roles of Sumoylation in mRNA Processing and Metabolism

SUMO has gained prominence as a regulator in a number of cellular processes. The roles of sumoylation in RNA metabolism, however, while considerable, remain less well understood. In this chapter we have assembled data from proteomic analyses, localization studies and key functional studies to extend SUMO's role to the area of mRNA processing and metabolism. Proteomic analyses have identified multiple putative sumoylation targets in complexes functioning in almost all aspects of mRNA metabolism, including capping, splicing and polyadenylation of mRNA precursors. Possible regulatory roles for SUMO have emerged in pre-mRNA 3' processing, where SUMO influences the functions of polyadenylation factors and activity of the entire complex. SUMO is also involved in regulating RNA editing and RNA binding by hnRNP proteins, and recent reports have suggested the involvement of the SUMO pathway in mRNA export. Together, these reports suggest that SUMO is involved in regulation of many aspects of mRNA metabolism and hold the promise for exciting future studies.

Organization and Regulation of Soybean SUMOylation System under Abiotic Stress Conditions

Covalent attachment of the small ubiquitin-related modifier, SUMO, to substrate proteins plays a significant role in plants under stress conditions, which can alter target proteins' function, location, and protein-protein interactions. Despite this importance, information about SUMOylation in the major legume crop, soybean, remains obscure. In this study, we performed a bioinformatics analysis of the entire soybean genome and identified 40 genes belonged to six families involved in a cascade of enzymatic reactions in soybean SUMOylation system. The cis-acting elements analysis revealed that promoters of SUMO pathway genes contained different combinations of stress and development-related cis-regulatory elements. RNA-seq data analysis showed that SUMO pathway components exhibited versatile tissue-specific expression patterns, indicating coordinated functioning during plant growth and development. qRT-PCR analysis of 13 SUMO pathway members indicated that majority of the SUMO pathway members were transcriptionally up-regulated by NaCl, heat and ABA stimuli during the 24 h period of treatment. Furthermore, SUMOylation dynamics in soybean roots under abiotic stress treatment were analyzed by western blot, which were characterized by regulation of SUMOylated proteins. Collectively, this study defined the organization of the soybean SUMOylation system and implied an essential function for SUMOylation in soybean abiotic stress responses.

Arabidopsis TCP Transcription Factors Interact with the SUMO Conjugating Machinery in Nuclear Foci

In Arabidopsis more than 400 proteins have been identified as SUMO targets, both in vivo and in vitro. Among others, transcription factors (TFs) are common targets for SUMO conjugation. Here we aimed to exhaustively screen for TFs that interact with the SUMO machinery using an arrayed yeast two-hybrid library containing more than 1,100 TFs. We identified 76 interactors that foremost interact with the SUMO conjugation enzyme SCE1 and/or the SUMO E3 ligase SIZ1. These interactors belong to various TF families, which control a wide range of processes in plant development and stress signaling. Amongst these interactors, the TCP family was overrepresented with several TCPs interacting with different proteins of the SUMO conjugation cycle. For a subset of these TCPs we confirmed that the catalytic site of SCE1 is essential for this interaction. In agreement, TCP1, TCP3, TCP8, TCP14, and TCP15 were readily SUMO modified in an E. coli sumoylation assay. Strikingly, these TCP-SCE1 interactions were found to redistribute these TCPs into nuclear foci/speckles, suggesting that these TCP foci represent sites for SUMO (conjugation) activity.

Introduction to Sumoylation

Reversible post-translational modification is a rapid and efficient system to control the activity of pre-existing proteins. Modifiers range from small chemical moieties, such as phosphate groups, to proteins themselves as the modifier. The patriarch of the protein modifiers is ubiquitin which plays a central role in protein degradation and protein targeting. Over the last 20 years, the ubiquitin family has expanded to include a variety of ubiquitin-related small modifier proteins that are all covalently attached to a lysine residue on target proteins via series of enzymatic reactions. Of these more recently discovered ubiquitin-like proteins, the SUMO family has gained prominence as a major regulatory component that impacts numerous aspects of cell growth, differentiation, and response to stress. Unlike ubiquitinylation which often leads to proteins turn over, sumoylation performs a variety of function such as altering protein stability, modulating protein trafficking, directing protein-protein interactions, and regulating protein activity. This chapter will introduce the basic properties of SUMO proteins and the general tenets of sumoylation.

A comprehensive compilation of SUMO proteomics

Small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) are essential for the regulation of several cellular processes and are potential therapeutic targets owing to their involvement in diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer disease. In the past decade, we have witnessed a rapid expansion of proteomic approaches for identifying sumoylated proteins, with recent advances in detecting site-specific sumoylation. In this Analysis, we combined all human SUMO proteomics data currently available into one cohesive database. We provide proteomic evidence for sumoylation of 3,617 proteins at 7,327 sumoylation sites, and insight into SUMO group modification by clustering the sumoylated proteins into functional networks. The data support sumoylation being a frequent protein modification (on par with other major protein modifications) with multiple nuclear functions, including in transcription, mRNA processing, DNA replication and the DNA-damage response.

Critical role of RanBP2-mediated SUMOylation of Small Heterodimer Partner in maintaining bile acid homeostasis

Bile acids (BAs) are recently recognized signalling molecules that profoundly affect metabolism. Because of detergent-like toxicity, BA levels must be tightly regulated. An orphan nuclear receptor, Small Heterodimer Partner (SHP), plays a key role in this regulation, but how SHP senses the BA signal for feedback transcriptional responses is not clearly understood. We show an unexpected function of a nucleoporin, RanBP2, in maintaining BA homoeostasis through SUMOylation of SHP. Upon BA signalling, RanBP2 co-localizes with SHP at the nuclear envelope region and mediates SUMO2 modification at K68, which facilitates nuclear transport of SHP and its interaction with repressive histone modifiers to inhibit BA synthetic genes. Mice expressing a SUMO-defective K68R SHP mutant have increased liver BA levels, and upon BA- or drug-induced biliary insults, these mice exhibit exacerbated cholestatic pathologies. These results demonstrate a function of RanBP2-mediated SUMOylation of SHP in maintaining BA homoeostasis and protecting from the BA hepatotoxicity.

Ubiquitin-dependent and independent roles of SUMO in proteostasis

Cellular proteomes are continuously undergoing alterations as a result of new production of proteins, protein folding, and degradation of proteins. The proper equilibrium of these processes is known as proteostasis, implying that proteomes are in homeostasis. Stress conditions can affect proteostasis due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins as a result of overloading the degradation machinery. Proteostasis is affected in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple polyglutamine disorders including Huntington's disease. Owing to a lack of proteostasis, neuronal cells build up toxic protein aggregates in these diseases. Here, we review the role of the ubiquitin-like posttranslational modification SUMO in proteostasis. SUMO alone contributes to protein homeostasis by influencing protein signaling or solubility. However, the main contribution of SUMO to proteostasis is the ability to cooperate with, complement, and balance the ubiquitin-proteasome system at multiple levels. We discuss the identification of enzymes involved in the interplay between SUMO and ubiquitin, exploring the complexity of this crosstalk which regulates proteostasis. These enzymes include SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases and ubiquitin proteases counteracting these ligases. Additionally, we review the role of SUMO in brain-related diseases, where SUMO is primarily investigated because of its role during formation of aggregates, either independently or in cooperation with ubiquitin. Detailed understanding of the role of SUMO in these diseases could lead to novel treatment options.

Regulation of hematopoietic development by ZBTB transcription factors

Hematopoietic development is governed by the coordinated expression of lineage- and differentiation stage-specific genes. Transcription factors play major roles in this process and their perturbation may underlie hematologic and immunologic disorders. Nearly 1900 transcription factors are encoded in the human genome: of these, 49 BTB (for broad-complex, tram-track and bric à brac)-zinc finger transcription factors referred to as ZBTB or POK proteins have been identified. ZBTB proteins, including BCL6, PLZF, ThPOK and LRF, exhibit a broad spectrum of functions in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. This review summarizes developmental and molecular functions of ZBTB proteins relevant to hematology.

Delamination of neural crest cells requires transient and reversible Wnt inhibition mediated by Dact1/2

Delamination of neural crest (NC) cells is a bona fide physiological model of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that is influenced by Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Using two in vivo models, we show that Wnt/β-catenin signalling is transiently inhibited at the time of NC delamination. In attempting to define the mechanism underlying this inhibition, we found that the scaffold proteins Dact1 and Dact2, which are expressed in pre-migratory NC cells, are required for NC delamination in Xenopus and chick embryos, whereas they do not affect the motile properties of migratory NC cells. Dact1/2 inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signalling upstream of the transcriptional activity of T cell factor (TCF), which is required for EMT to proceed. Dact1/2 regulate the subcellular distribution of β-catenin, preventing β-catenin from acting as a transcriptional co-activator to TCF, yet without affecting its stability. Together, these data identify a novel yet important regulatory element that inhibits β-catenin signalling, which then affects NC delamination.

c-Myc is targeted to the proteasome for degradation in a SUMOylation-dependent manner, regulated by PIAS1, SENP7 and RNF4

c-Myc is the most frequently overexpressed oncogene in tumors, including breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. Post-translational modifications comprising phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitylation regulate the activity of c-Myc. Recently, it was shown that c-Myc-driven tumors are strongly dependent on the SUMO pathway. Currently, the relevant SUMO target proteins in this pathway are unknown. Here we show that c-Myc is a target protein for SUMOylation, and that SUMOylated c-Myc is subsequently ubiquitylated and degraded by the proteasome. SUMO chains appeared to be dispensable for this process, polymerization-deficient SUMO mutants supported proteolysis of SUMOylated c-Myc. These results indicate that multiple SUMO monomers conjugated to c-Myc could be sufficient to direct SUMOylated c-Myc to the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Knocking down the SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase RNF4 enhanced the levels of SUMOylated c-Myc, indicating that RNF4 could recognize a multi-SUMOylated protein as a substrate in addition to poly-SUMOylated proteins. Knocking down the SUMO E3 ligase PIAS1 resulted in reduced c-Myc SUMOylation and increased c-Myc transcriptional activity, indicating that PIAS1 mediates c-Myc SUMOylation. Increased SUMOylation of c-Myc was noted upon knockdown of the SUMO protease SENP7, indicating that it also could regulate a multi-SUMOylated protein in addition to poly-SUMOylated proteins. C-Myc lacks KxE-type SUMOylation consensus motifs. We used mass spectrometry to identify 10 SUMO acceptor lysines: K52, K148, K157, K317, K323, K326, K389, K392, K398 and K430. Intriguingly, mutating all 10 SUMO acceptor lysines did not reduce c-Myc SUMOylation, suggesting that SUMO acceptor lysines in c-Myc act promiscuously. Our results provide novel insight into the complexity of c-Myc post-translational regulation.

SUMO wrestling with Ras

This review discusses our current understanding of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) pathway and how it functionally intersects with Ras signaling in cancer. The Ras family of small GTPases are frequently mutated in cancer. The role of the SUMO pathway in cancer and in Ras signaling is currently not well understood. Recent studies have shown that the SUMO pathway can both regulate Ras/MAPK pathway activity directly and support Ras-driven oncogenesis through the regulation of proteins that are not direct Ras effectors. We recently discovered that in Ras mutant cancer cells, the SUMOylation status of a subset of proteins is altered and one such protein, KAP1, is required for Ras-driven transformation. A better understanding of the functional interaction between the SUMO and Ras pathways could lead to new insights into the mechanism of Ras-driven oncogenesis.

Cooling-induced SUMOylation of EXOSC10 down-regulates ribosome biogenesis

The RNA exosome is essential for 3' processing of functional RNA species and degradation of aberrant RNAs in eukaryotic cells. Recent reports have defined the substrates of the exosome catalytic domains and solved the multimeric structure of the exosome complex. However, regulation of exosome activity remains poorly characterized, especially in response to physiological stress. Following the observation that cooling of mammalian cells results in a reduction in 40S:60S ribosomal subunit ratio, we uncover regulation of the nuclear exosome as a result of reduced temperature. Using human cells and an in vivo model system allowing whole-body cooling, we observe reduced EXOSC10 (hRrp6, Pm/Scl-100) expression in the cold. In parallel, both models of cooling increase global SUMOylation, leading to the identification of specific conjugation of SUMO1 to EXOSC10, a process that is increased by cooling. Furthermore, we define the major SUMOylation sites in EXOSC10 by mutagenesis and show that overexpression of SUMO1 alone is sufficient to suppress EXOSC10 abundance. Reducing EXOSC10 expression by RNAi in human cells correlates with the 3' preribosomal RNA processing defects seen in the cold as well as reducing the 40S:60S ratio, a previously uncharacterized consequence of EXOSC10 suppression. Together, this work illustrates that EXOSC10 can be modified by SUMOylation and identifies a physiological stress where this regulation is prevalent both in vitro and in vivo.

Post-Translational Modifications of Cardiac Mitochondrial Proteins in Cardiovascular Disease: Not Lost in Translation

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial in regulating cellular biology by playing key roles in processes such as the rapid on and off switching of signaling network and the regulation of enzymatic activities without affecting gene expressions. PTMs lead to conformational changes in the tertiary structure of protein and resultant regulation of protein function such as activation, inhibition, or signaling roles. PTMs such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and S-nitrosylation of specific sites in proteins have key roles in regulation of mitochondrial functions, thereby contributing to the progression to heart failure. Despite the extensive study of PTMs in mitochondrial proteins much remains unclear. Further research is yet to be undertaken to elucidate how changes in the proteins may lead to cardiovascular and metabolic disease progression in particular. We aimed to summarize the various types of PTMs that occur in mitochondrial proteins, which might be associated with heart failure. This study will increase the understanding of cardiovascular diseases through PTM.

Detection of Protein-Protein Interactions and Posttranslational Modifications Using the Proximity Ligation Assay: Application to the Study of the SUMO Pathway

The detection of protein-protein interactions by imaging techniques often requires the overexpression of the proteins of interest tagged with fluorescent molecules, which can affect their biological properties and, subsequently, flaw experiment interpretations. The recent development of the proximity ligation assays (PLA) technology allows easy visualization of endogenous protein-protein interactions at the single molecule level. PLA relies on the use of combinations of antibodies coupled to complementary oligonucleotides that are amplified and revealed with a fluorescent probe, each spot representing a single protein-protein interaction. Another application of this technique is the detection of proteins posttranslational modifications to monitor their localization and dynamics in situ. Here, we describe the use of PLA to detect protein SUMOylation, a posttranslational modification related to ubiquitination, as well as interaction of SUMOylated substrates with other proteins, using both adherent and suspension cells.

Analysis of SUMOylated Proteins in Cells and In Vivo Using the bioSUMO Strategy

Posttranslational regulation of proteins by conjugation of ubiquitin- and ubiquitin-like molecules is a common theme in almost every known biological pathway. SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) is dynamically added and deleted from many cellular substrates to control activity, localization, and recruitment of other SUMO-recognizing protein complexes. The dynamic nature of this modification and its low abundance in resting cells make it challenging to study, with susceptibility to deSUMOylases further complicating its analysis. Here we describe bioSUMO, a general method to isolate and analyze SUMOylated proteins from cultured cells, using Drosophila as a highlighted example. The method also has been validated in transgenic flies, as well as human cells. SUMOylated substrates are labeled by in vivo biotinylation, which facilitates their subsequent purification using streptavidin-based affinity chromatography under stringent conditions and with very low background. The bioSUMO approach can be used to validate whether a specific protein is modified, or used to analyze an entire SUMO subproteome. If coupled to quantitative proteomics methods, it may reveal how the SUMO landscape changes with different stimuli, or in diverse cell or tissue types. This technique offers a complementary approach to study SUMO biology and we expect that the strategy can be extended to other ubiquitin-like proteins.

A Chemical and Enzymatic Approach to Study Site-Specific Sumoylation

A variety of cellular pathways are regulated by protein modifications with ubiquitin-family proteins. SUMO, the Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier, is covalently attached to lysine on target proteins via a cascade reaction catalyzed by E1, E2, and E3 enzymes. A major barrier to understanding the diverse regulatory roles of SUMO has been a lack of suitable methods to identify protein sumoylation sites. Here we developed a mass-spectrometry (MS) based approach combining chemical and enzymatic modifications to identify sumoylation sites. We applied this method to analyze the auto-sumoylation of the E1 enzyme in vitro and compared it to the GG-remnant method using Smt3-I96R as a substrate. We further examined the effect of smt3-I96R mutation in vivo and performed a proteome-wide analysis of protein sumoylation sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To validate these findings, we confirmed several sumoylation sites of Aos1 and Uba2 in vivo. Together, these results demonstrate that our chemical and enzymatic method for identifying protein sumoylation sites provides a useful tool and that a combination of methods allows a detailed analysis of protein sumoylation sites.

Targeting of SUMO substrates to a Cdc48-Ufd1-Npl4 segregase and STUbL pathway in fission yeast

In eukaryotes, the conjugation of proteins to the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates numerous cellular functions. A proportion of SUMO conjugates are targeted for degradation by SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) and it has been proposed that the ubiquitin-selective chaperone Cdc48/p97-Ufd1-Npl4 facilitates this process. However, the extent to which the two pathways overlap, and how substrates are selected, remains unknown. Here we address these questions in fission yeast through proteome-wide analyses of SUMO modification sites. We identify over a thousand sumoylated lysines in a total of 468 proteins and quantify changes occurring in the SUMO modification status when the STUbL or Ufd1 pathways are compromised by mutations. The data suggest the coordinated processing of several classes of SUMO conjugates, many dynamically associated with centromeres or telomeres. They provide new insights into subnuclear organization and chromosome biology, and, altogether, constitute an extensive resource for the molecular characterization of SUMO function and dynamics.

Structural basis for catalytic activation by the human ZNF451 SUMO E3 ligase

E3 protein ligases enhance transfer of ubiquitin-like (Ubl) proteins from E2 conjugating enzymes to substrates by stabilizing the thioester-charged E2~Ubl in a closed configuration optimally aligned for nucleophilic attack. Here, we report biochemical and structural data that define the N-terminal domain of the Homo sapiens ZNF451 as the catalytic module for SUMO E3 ligase activity. ZNF451 catalytic module contains tandem SUMO interaction motifs (SIMs) bridged by a Proline-Leucine-Arginine-Proline (PLRP) motif. The first SIM and PLRP motif engage thioester charged E2~SUMO while the next SIM binds a second molecule of SUMO bound to the backside of E2. We show that ZNF451 is SUMO2 specific and that SUMO-modification of ZNF451 may contribute to activity by providing a second molecule of SUMO that interacts with E2. Our results are consistent with ZNF451 functioning as a bona fide SUMO E3 ligase.

The application of targeted mass spectrometry-based strategies to the detection and localization of post-translational modifications

This review describes some of the more interesting and imaginative ways in which mass spectrometry has been utilized to study a number of important post-translational modifications over the past two decades; from circa 1990 to 2013. A diverse range of modifications is covered, including citrullination, sulfation, hydroxylation and sumoylation. A summary of the biological role of each modification described, along with some brief mechanistic detail, is also included. Emphasis has been placed on strategies specifically aimed at detecting target modifications, as opposed to more serendipitous modification discovery approaches, which rely upon straightforward product ion scanning methods. The authors have intentionally excluded from this review both phosphorylation and glycosylation since these major modifications have been extensively reviewed elsewhere.

Analysis of Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier (SUMO) Targets Reflects the Essential Nature of Protein SUMOylation and Provides Insight to Elucidate the Role of SUMO in Plant Development

Posttranslational modification of proteins by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) has received much attention, reflected by a flood of recent studies implicating SUMO in a wide range of cellular and molecular activities, many of which are conserved throughout eukaryotes. Whereas most of these studies were performed in vitro or in single cells, plants provide an excellent system to study the role of SUMO at the developmental level. Consistent with its essential roles during plant development, mutations of the basic SUMOylation machinery in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cause embryo stage arrest or major developmental defects due to perturbation of the dynamics of target SUMOylation. Efforts to identify SUMO protein targets in Arabidopsis have been modest; however, recent success in identifying thousands of human SUMO targets using unique experimental designs can potentially help identify plant SUMO targets more efficiently. Here, known Arabidopsis SUMO targets are reevaluated, and potential approaches to dissect the roles of SUMO in plant development are discussed.

SUMOylation-disrupting WAS mutation converts WASp from a transcriptional activator to a repressor of NF-κB response genes in T cells

In Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), immunodeficiency and autoimmunity often comanifest, yet how WAS mutations misregulate chromatin-signaling in Thelper (TH) cells favoring development of auto-inflammation over protective immunity is unclear. Previously, we identified an essential promoter-specific, coactivator role of nuclear-WASp in TH1 gene transcription. Here we identify small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)ylation as a novel posttranslational modification of WASp, impairment of which converts nuclear-WASp from a transcriptional coactivator to a corepressor of nuclear factor (NF)-κB response genes in human (TH)1-differentiating cells. V75M, one of many disease-causing mutations occurring in SUMO*motif (72-ψψψψKDxxxxSY-83) of WASp, compromises WASp-SUMOylation, associates with COMMD1 to attenuate NF-κB signaling, and recruits histone deacetylases-6 (HDAC6) to p300-marked promoters of NF-κB response genes that pattern immunity but not inflammation. Consequently, proteins mediating adaptive immunity (IFNG, STAT1, TLR1) are deficient, whereas those mediating auto-inflammation (GM-CSF, TNFAIP2, IL-1β) are paradoxically increased in TH1 cells expressing SUMOylation-deficient WASp. Moreover, SUMOylation-deficient WASp favors ectopic development of the TH17-like phenotype (↑IL17A, IL21, IL22, IL23R, RORC, and CSF2) under TH1-skewing conditions, suggesting a role for WASp in modulating TH1/TH17 plasticity. Notably, pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors lift promoter-specific repression imposed by SUMOylation-deficient WASp and restore misregulated gene expression. Our findings uncovering a SUMOylation-based mechanism controlling WASp's dichotomous roles in transcription may have implications for personalized therapy for patients carrying mutations that perturb WASp-SUMOylation.

Mapping the SUMOylated landscape

SUMOylation is a post‐translational modification that regulates a multitude of cellular processes, including replication, cell‐cycle progression, protein transport and the DNA damage response. Similar to ubiquitin, SUMO (small ubiquitin‐like modifier) is covalently attached to target proteins in a reversible process via an enzymatic cascade. SUMOylation is essential for nearly all eukaryotic organisms, and deregulation of the SUMO system is associated with human diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, it is of great interest to understand the regulation and dynamics of this post‐translational modification. Within the last decade, mass spectrometry analyses of SUMO proteomes have overcome several obstacles, greatly expanding the number of known SUMO target proteins. In this review, we briefly outline the basic concepts of the SUMO system, and discuss the potential of proteomic approaches to decipher SUMOylation patterns in order to understand the role of SUMO in health and disease.

Different proteomic strategies to identify genuine Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier targets and their modification sites in Trypanosoma brucei procyclic forms

SUMOylation is an important post-translational modification conserved in eukaryotic organisms. In Trypanosoma brucei, SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier) is essential in procyclic and bloodstream forms. Furthermore, SUMO has been linked to the antigenic variation process, as a highly SUMOylated focus was recently identified within chromatin-associated proteins of the active variant surface glycoprotein expression site. We aimed to establish a reliable strategy to identify SUMO conjugates in T. brucei. We expressed various tagged variants of SUMO from the endogenous locus. His-HA-TbSUMO was useful to validate the tag functionality but SUMO conjugates were not enriched enough over contaminants after affinity purification. A Lys-deficient SUMO version, created to reduce contaminants by Lys-C digestion, was able to overcome this issue but did not allow mapping many SUMOylation sites. This cell line was in turn useful to demonstrate that polySUMO chains are not essential for parasite viability. Finally, a His-HA-TbSUMO(T106K) version allowed the purification of SUMO conjugates and, after digestion with Lys-C, the enrichment for diGly-Lys peptides using specific antibodies. This site-specific proteomic strategy led us to identify 45 SUMOylated proteins and 53 acceptor sites unambiguously. SUMOylated proteins belong mainly to nuclear processes, such as DNA replication and repair, transcription, rRNA biogenesis and chromatin remodelling, among others.