SUMO: a regulator of gene expression and genome integrity
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Updated: Aug 25, 2026

In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity
Published on: January 29, 2018
Stefan Müller1, Andreas Ledl, Darja Schmidt
1Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany. stmuelle@biochem.mpg.de
Abstract:
Post-translational modification with the ubiquitin-like SUMO protein is involved in the regulation of many cellular key processes. The SUMO system modulates signal transduction pathways, including cytokine, Wnt, growth factor and steroid hormone signalling. SUMO frequently restrains the activity of downstream transcription factors in these pathways presumably by facilitating the recruitment of corepressors or mediating the assembly of repressor complexes. Additionally, evidence is accumulating that SUMO controls pathways important for the surveillance of genome integrity. SUMO regulates the PML/p53 tumour suppressor network, a key determinant in the cellular response to DNA damage. Moreover, proteins that maintain genomic stability by functioning at the interface between DNA replication, recombination and repair processes undergo SUMOylation. We will discuss some key findings that exemplify the role of SUMO in transcriptional regulation and genome surveillance.
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