Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 impairs sumoylation

The crosstalk between SUMOylation and immune system in host-pathogen interactions

Pathogens can not only cause infectious diseases, immune system diseases, and chronic diseases, but also serve as potential triggers or initiators for certain tumors. They directly or indirectly damage human health and are one of the leading causes of global deaths. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification, a type of protein post-translational modification (PTM) that occurs when SUMO groups bond covalently to particular lysine residues on substrate proteins, plays a crucial role in both innate and adaptive immunologic responses, as well as pathogen-host immune system crosstalk. SUMOylation participates in the host's defense against pathogens by regulating immune responses, while numerically vast and taxonomically diverse pathogens have evolved to exploit the cellular SUMO modification system to break through innate defenses. Here, we describe the characteristics and multiple functions of SUMOylation as a pivotal PTM mechanism, the tactics employed by various pathogens to counteract the immune system through targeting host SUMOylation, and the character of the SUMOylation system in the fight between pathogens and the host immune system. We have also included a summary of the potential anti-pathogen SUMO enzyme inhibitors. This review serves as a reference for basic research and clinical practice in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of pathogenic microorganism-caused disorders.

Complex Relationships between HIV-1 Integrase and Its Cellular Partners

RNA viruses, in pursuit of genome miniaturization, tend to employ cellular proteins to facilitate their replication. HIV-1, one of the most well-studied retroviruses, is not an exception. There is numerous evidence that the exploitation of cellular machinery relies on nucleic acid-protein and protein-protein interactions. Apart from Vpr, Vif, and Nef proteins that are known to regulate cellular functioning via interaction with cell components, another viral protein, integrase, appears to be crucial for proper virus-cell dialog at different stages of the viral life cycle. The goal of this review is to summarize and systematize existing data on known cellular partners of HIV-1 integrase and their role in the HIV-1 life cycle.

Umut Şahin: SUMOylation in health and disease

Umut Şahin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University’s Center for Life Sciences and Technologies. We asked him about his recent paper published in Life Science Alliance (LSA) and his experience in science thus far.

Umut Şahin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University’s Center for Life Sciences and Technologies. We asked him about his recent paper published in Life Science Alliance (LSA) and his experience in science thus far. He explains how his team built upon their initial in vivo data by further complementing it with in vitro work, and emphasizes the relevance of their study to virology, immunology, as well as to the SUMO community. He shares the long term goals and vision of his laboratory, and explains how past and current connections shape his research interests and fuel his passion for science.