The ubiquitin-homology gene PIC1: characterization of mouse (Pic1) and human (UBL1) genes and pseudogenes

Pseudogenes in gastric cancer pathogenesis: a review article

Cancer burden rises globally at an alarming pace. According to GLOBOCAN 2012, gastric cancer (GC) is regarded as the fifth most common malignancy in the world. Being twice as high in men as in women, GC is the third leading cause of cancer mortality in both sexes globally. Being labeled as 'junk DNA', pseudogenes were considered as nonfunctional 'trash', which contribute nothing to survival of the organism; therefore, a number of strategies have been developed to circumvent their accidental detection. Recent progresses have confirmed that pseudogenes can have broad and multifaceted spectrum of activities in human cancers in general and GC in particular. Furthermore, the mentioned functions are parental gene-dependent and/or -independent. Therefore, pseudogenes can be regarded as the emerging class of elaborate modulators of gene expression involved in pathogenesis of human cancers including gastric adenocarcinoma.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) genes from grouper (Epinephelus coioides)

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a group of proteins binding to lysine residues of target proteins and thereby modifying their stability, activity and subcellular localization. In the present study, two SUMO homolog genes (EcSUMO1 and EcSUMO2) from grouper (Epinephelus coioides) were cloned and characterized. The full-length sequence of EcSUMO1 was 749 bp in length and contained a predicted open reading frame of 306 bp encoding 101 amino acids with a molecular mass of 11.34 kDa. The full-length sequence of EcSUMO2 was 822 bp in length and contained a predicted open reading frame of 291 bp encoding 96 amino acids with a molecular mass of 10.88 kDa EcSUMO1 shares 44.55% identity with EcSUMO2. EcSUMO1 shares 99%, 90%, and 88% identity with those from Oreochromis niloticus, Danio rerio, and Homo sapiens, respectively. EcSUMO2 shares 98%, 93%, and 96% identity with those from Anoplopoma fimbria, D.rerio, and H. sapiens, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that EcSUMO1 and EcSUMO2 were constitutively expressed in all of the analyzed tissues in healthy grouper, but the expression of EcSUMO2 was higher than that of EcSUMO1. EcSUMO1 and EcSUMO2 were identified as a remarkably (P < 0.01) up-regulated responding to poly(I:C) and Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) stimulation in head kidney of groupers. EcSUMO1 and EcSUMO2 were distributed in both cytoplasm and nucleus in GS cells. Over-expressed EcSUMO1 and EcSUMO2 enhanced SGIV and Red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) replication during viral infection in vitro. Our study was an important attempt to understand the SUMO pathway in fish, which may provide insights into the regulatory mechanism of viral infection in E.coioides under farmed conditions.

Increased SUMO-1 expression in response to hypoxia: Interaction with HIF-1α in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) develops in 30-70% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and increases morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to investigate the regulation of small ubiquitin‑related modifier‑1 (SUMO‑1) expression in response to hypoxia. The experiments were carried out in vitro in rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and in vivo using a rat hypoxic PH (HPH) model. A significant increase in SUMO‑1 mRNA and protein levels was observed following hypoxic stimulation in vivo and in vitro. SUMO‑1 is known to interact with various transcription factors, including hypoxia‑inducible factor‑1α (HIF‑1α) in vitro. Notably, the expression of HIF‑1α and its target gene, vascular endothelial growth factor, was increased by hypoxia in HPH. In addition, the present data suggest that SUMO‑1 regulated HIF‑1α in response to hypoxia (gene silencing and overexpression). Finally, the co‑immunoprecipitation assays suggest a direct and specific interaction between SUMO‑1 and HIF‑1α. In conclusion, SUMO‑1 may participate in the modulation of HIF‑1α through sumoylation in HPH. However, further studies are required to confirm this.

Up-regulation of SUMO1 pseudogene 3 (SUMO1P3) in gastric cancer and its clinical association

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles during cancer occurrence and progression. The pseudogene-expressed lncRNA is one major type of lncRNA family. However, their association with cancers is largely unknown. In this study, we focused on small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) 1 pseudogene 3, SUMO1P3. Gastric cancer tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues were collected from 96 patients with gastric cancer. The SUMO1P3 levels were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Then, the association between the level of SUMO1P3 in gastric cancer tissues and the clinicopathological features of patients with gastric cancer was further analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed for differentiating patients with gastric cancer from patients with benign gastric diseases. The results showed that SUMO1P3 was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues compared with paired-adjacent nontumorous tissues (p < 0.01). Its expression level was significantly correlated with tumor size (p = 0.003), differentiation (p = 0.002), lymphatic metastasis (p = 0.001), and invasion (p = 0.039). The area under the ROC curve of SUMO1P3 was up to 0.666. These results indicated, for the first time, that pseudogene-expressed lncRNA SUMO1P3 may be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Biochemical analysis of protein SUMOylation

SUMOylation, the covalent attachment of Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier (SUMO) polypeptides to other proteins, is among the most important post-translational modifications that regulate the functional properties of a large number of proteins. SUMOylation is broadly involved in cellular processes such as gene transcription, hormone response, signal transduction, DNA repair, and nuclear transport. SUMO modification has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of human diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and viral infection. Attachment of a SUMO protein to another protein is carried out in multiple steps catalyzed by three enzymes. This unit describes and discusses the in vitro biochemical methods used for investigating each step of the SUMOylation process. In addition, a high-throughput screening protocol is included for the identification of inhibitors of SUMOylation.

Cloning the human SUMO1 promoter

Regulation of the sumoylation system at the level of gene expression has not yet been explored. To begin to define transcriptional regulatory features, the promoter region for the SUMO1 gene was cloned from human genomic DNA and characterized. Initially, a 532 base pair fragment upstream of and including the predicted SUMO1 transcription start site (TSS) was cloned and shown to possess promoter activity. Subsequent deletion analysis showed that a smaller fragment containing 158 bp upstream of the TSS region exhibited basal promoter activity in both human and rodent cell lines. Within this basal promoter fragment, there were predicted binding sites for numerous transcription factors, including the nude mouse gene product, Whn (FoxN1). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that Whn could bind to an ACGC motif adjacent to the TSR, and in transfection studies Whn stimulated a 3-fold increase in transcription from this cloned promoter in keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). Mutation of the ACGC motif abrogated both Whn binding and transcriptional activation, indicating that the Whn effect is likely due to direct interaction with this promoter element. Consistent with these observations on the cloned promoter region, Whn also modestly stimulated transcription from the endogenous, genomic SUMO1 promoter in HaCaT cells, consistent with Whn potentially playing a regulatory role for SUMO1 transcription in keratinocytes.

Identifications of SUMO-1 cDNA and its expression patterns in Pacific white shrimp Litopeanaeus vannamei

Small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO) work in a similar way as ubiquitin to alter the biological properties of a target protein by conjugation. A shrimp SUMO cDNA named LvSUMO-1 was identified in Litopenaeus vannamei. LvSUMO-1 cDNA contains a coding sequence of 282 nucleotides with untranslated regions of 37 bp at 5'-end and 347 bp at 3'-end, respectively. The deduced 93 amino acids exhibit 83% identity with the Western Honeybee SUMO-1, and more than 65% homologies with human and mouse SUMO-1. LvSUMO-1 mRNA is expressed in most L. vannamei tissues with the highest level in hepatopancrease. The mRNA expression of LvSUMO-1 over development stages in L. Vammamei is distinguished by a low level in nauplius stage and relatively high level in postlarva stage with continuous expression until juvenile stage. The LvSUMO-1 protein and its conjugated proteins are detected in both cytoplasm and nucleus in several tissues. Interestingly, LvSUMO-1 mRNA levels are high in abdominal muscle during the premolt stage, wherein it has significant activities of protein degradation, suggesting its possible role in the regulation of shrimp muscle protein degradation.

Schistosoma mansoni encodes SMT3B and SMT3C molecules responsible for post-translational modification of cellular proteins

The sumoylation pathway is a post-translational modification of nuclear proteins widespread among several organisms. SMT3C is the main protein involved in this process and it is covalently conjugated to a diverse assortment of nuclear protein targets. To date, 3 SUMO paralogues (SMT3C, A/B) have been characterized in mammals and plants. In this work we characterized two SUMO related genes, named SMT3B and SMT3C throughout Schistosoma mansoni life cycle. The SmSMTB/C encodes for proteins sharing significant amino acid homology with SMT3. Phylogenetical analyses revealed that both SmSMT3B/C are distinct proteins. Additionally, SmSMT3B and C are expressed in cercariae, adult worms, eggs and schistosomula however SmSMT3C gene showed an expression level 7 to 9 fold higher than SmSMT3B in eggs, schistosomula and adult worms. The comparison between the SmSMT3C genomic and cDNA sequences established that the encoding sequence is interrupted by 3 introns of 70, 37 and 36 bp. Western Blot has shown SMT3 conjugates are present in nuclear and total protein fractions of adults and cercariae. Therefore our results suggest a functional sumoylation pathway, and the presence of two paralogues also suggests the specificity of substrates for SMT3 in S. mansoni.

Protein modification by SUMO

Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) family proteins function by becoming covalently attached to other proteins as post-translational modifications. SUMO modifies many proteins that participate in diverse cellular processes, including transcriptional regulation, nuclear transport, maintenance of genome integrity, and signal transduction. Reversible attachment of SUMO is controlled by an enzyme pathway that is analogous to the ubiquitin pathway. The functional consequences of SUMO attachment vary greatly from substrate to substrate, and in many cases are not understood at the molecular level. Frequently SUMO alters interactions of substrates with other proteins or with DNA, but SUMO can also act by blocking ubiquitin attachment sites. An unusual feature of SUMO modification is that, for most substrates, only a small fraction of the substrate is sumoylated at any given time. This review discusses our current understanding of how SUMO conjugation is controlled, as well as the roles of SUMO in a number of biological processes.

Increase of SUMO-1 expression in response to hypoxia: direct interaction with HIF-1alpha in adult mouse brain and heart in vivo

The present study investigates the regulation of small ubiquitin-related modifier-1 (SUMO-1) expression in response to hypoxia in adult mouse brain and heart. We observed a significant increase in SUMO-1 mRNAs and proteins after hypoxic stimulation in vivo. Because SUMO-1 interacts with various transcription factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor-1beta (HIF-1beta) in vitro, we not only demonstrated that the HIF-1alpha expression is increased by hypoxia in brain and heart, but also provided evidence that SUMO-1 co-localizes in vivo with HIF-1alpha in response to hypoxia by demonstrating the co-expression of these two proteins in neurons and cardiomyocytes. The specific interaction between SUMO-1 and HIF-1alpha was additionally demonstrated with co-immunoprecipitation. These results indicate that the increased levels of SUMO-1 participate in the modulation of HIF-1alpha function through sumoylation in brain and heart.

The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein modification system in Arabidopsis. Accumulation of SUMO1 and -2 conjugates is increased by stress

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a member of the superfamily of ubiquitin-like polypeptides that become covalently attached to various intracellular target proteins as a way to alter their function, location, and/or half-life. Here we show that the SUMO conjugation system operates in plants through a characterization of the Arabidopsis SUMO pathway. An eight-gene family encoding the SUMO tag was discovered as were genes encoding the various enzymes required for SUMO processing, ligation, and release. A diverse array of conjugates could be detected, some of which appear to be SUMO isoform-specific. The levels of SUMO1 and -2 conjugates but not SUMO3 conjugates increased substantially following exposure of seedlings to stress conditions, including heat shock, H(2)O(2), ethanol, and the amino acid analog canavanine. The heat-induced accumulation could be detected within 2 min from the start of a temperature upshift, suggesting that SUMO1/2 conjugation is one of the early plant responses to heat stress. Overexpression of SUMO2 enhanced both the steady state levels of SUMO2 conjugates under normal growth conditions and the subsequent heat shock-induced accumulation. This accumulation was dampened in an Arabidopsis line engineered for increased thermotolerance by overexpressing the cytosolic isoform of the HSP70 chaperonin. Taken together, the SUMO conjugation system appears to be a complex and functionally heterogeneous pathway for protein modification in plants with initial data indicating that one important function may be in stress protection and/or repair.

Molecular features of human ubiquitin-like SUMO genes and their encoded proteins

The SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) protein and ubiquitin have similar 3-D structure. Sumolyzation and ubiquitination exhibit similar biological processes for post-translational modification. However, unlike ubiquitination, which targets proteins for degradation, sumolyzation participates in a number of cellular processes such as nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis and protein stability. The human genome contains three SUMO-1/2/3 functional genes, as well as eight SUMO-1 pseudogenes and 23 SUMO-2 pseudogenes, but no SUMO-3 pseudogenes. The protein-coding sequence of the SUMO-1 gene is interrupted by four introns, while those of SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 genes are interrupted by three introns. Human SUMO-1 protein exhibits 44% sequence identity with SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 proteins, while SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 proteins share 86% sequence identity. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the SUMO-3 gene was derived from the SUMO-2 gene. SUMO-1 mRNA appears to be most abundant in human epithelial HeLa, kidney 293 and neuronal NT2 cells, while the SUMO-3 mRNA seems to be much less abundant than SUMO-2 mRNA, especially in HeLa and 293 cells. Many cellular proteins of high molecular weights were covalently modified by SUMO-1/2/3 proteins. However, some free form of SUMO-2/3 proteins was also detected. Most SUMO-1/2/3 proteins were shown to be localized on nuclear membrane, nuclear bodies and cytoplasm, respectively.

SUMO--nonclassical ubiquitin

SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) is the best-characterized member of a growing family of ubiquitin-related proteins. It resembles ubiquitin in its structure, its ability to be ligated to other proteins, as well as in the mechanism of ligation. However, in contrast to ubiquitination-often the first step on a one-way road to protein degradation-SUMOlation does not seem to mark proteins for degradation. In fact, SUMO may even function as an antagonist of ubiquitin in the degradation of selected proteins. While most SUMO targets are still at large, available data provide compelling evidence for a role of SUMO in the regulation of protein-protein interactions and/or subcellular localization.