Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Zinc-finger Nuclease Enhanced Gene Targeting in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Published on: August 23, 2014
The SUMO pathway promotes basic helix-loop-helix proneural factor activity via a direct effect on the Zn finger
Lynn M Powell1, Angela Chen, Yan Chang Huang
1Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. lynn.powell@ed.ac.uk
Abstract:
During development, proneural transcription factors of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family are required to commit cells to a neural fate. In Drosophila neurogenesis, a key mechanism promoting sense organ precursor (SOP) fate is the synergy between proneural factors and their coactivator Senseless in transcriptional activation of target genes. Here we present evidence that posttranslational modification by SUMO enhances this synergy via an effect on Senseless protein. We show that Senseless is a direct target for SUMO modification and that mutagenesis of a predicted SUMOylation motif in Senseless reduces Senseless/proneural synergy both in vivo and in cell culture. We propose that SUMOylation of Senseless via lysine 509 promotes its synergy with proneural proteins during transcriptional activation and hence regulates an important step in neurogenesis leading to the formation and maturation of the SOPs.
Related Concept Videos
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
