Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
09:45
In Vitro SUMOylation Assay to Study SUMO E3 Ligase Activity
Published on: January 29, 2018
Nuclear organization in genome stability: SUMO connections
Shigeki Nagai1, Niloofar Davoodi, Susan M Gasser
1Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
Cell Research
|February 16, 2011
Summary
SUMO-targeted Ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) maintain genome stability by organizing DNA repair at nuclear pores and PML bodies. These processes are crucial for telomere maintenance and preventing genomic instability.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Chromatin dynamics and nuclear organization are vital for gene regulation, DNA replication, and genome stability.
- Nuclear pores and Promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) nuclear bodies are key structures involved in maintaining genome integrity.
- SUMO-targeted Ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) are evolutionarily conserved proteins implicated in DNA repair and genome stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of STUbLs in genome stability through their association with nuclear pores and PML nuclear bodies.
- To elucidate the mechanisms by which STUbLs contribute to DNA repair and telomere maintenance.
- To understand how perturbations in nuclear organization affect genome stability.
Main Methods:
- Studies in yeast and mammalian cells to analyze the function of STUbLs (Slx5/Slx8 in yeast, RNF4 in mammals).
- Investigating the association of STUbLs with DNA breaks, nuclear pores, and PML nuclear bodies.
- Examining the role of STUbLs in telomere maintenance pathways (recombination-mediated and ALT pathway).
- Analyzing the consequences of perturbing nuclear organization on genome stability.
Main Results:
- Yeast STUbL Slx5/Slx8 associates with DNA breaks at nuclear pores and is essential for telomere maintenance via recombination.
- Mammalian STUbL RNF4 interacts with PML nuclear bodies, regulating protein stability and supporting telomere maintenance in ALT-proficient tumors.
- Disruption of nuclear pores or PML bodies leads to genomic instability, including gene amplifications, deletions, and telomere fusions.
Conclusions:
- SUMO and STUbLs play a critical role in the subnuclear organization of DNA repair events, thereby maintaining genome stability.
- STUbLs are crucial for telomere maintenance and preventing genomic aberrations through their interactions with nuclear structures.
- The findings highlight a conserved mechanism involving nuclear organization and STUbLs in safeguarding genome integrity across species.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:45Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
02:53Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation
Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
02:04Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
02:04Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
Proteins can undergo many types of post-translational modifications, often in response to changes in their environment. These modifications play an important role in the function and stability of these proteins. Covalently linked molecules include functional groups, such as methyl, acetyl, and phosphate groups, and also small proteins, such as ubiquitin. There are around 200 different types of covalent regulators that have been identified.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
02:10Additional Subnuclear Structures
The eukaryotic nucleus is a double membrane-bound organelle that contains nearly all of the cell’s genetic material in the form of chromosomes. It is rightly called the “brain” of the cell as it shoulders the responsibility of responding to various physiological processes, stress, altered metabolic conditions, and other cellular signals.
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles, paraspeckles, etc. These nuclear...
The nucleus contains many membrane-less subnuclear organelles or nuclear bodies, such as nucleoli, Cajal bodies, speckles, paraspeckles, etc. These nuclear...
02:54Nucleosome Remodeling
Nucleosomes are the basic units of chromatin compaction. Each nucleosome consists of the DNA bound tightly around a histone core, which makes the DNA inaccessible to DNA binding proteins such as DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase. Hence, the fundamental problem is to ensure access to DNA when appropriate, despite the compact and protective chromatin structure.
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...
Nucleosome remodeling complex
Eukaryotic cells have specialized enzymes called ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling enzymes. These enzymes...