SUMO chain formation in Trypanosomatids

DI MARZIO, L. A.; IRIBARREN, P. A.; BERAZATEGUI, M. A.; ALVAREZ, V. E.

Río de Janeiro

Workshop; GCRF Global Network for NTDs: 2nd Advanced School in Genetic Manipulation of Parasitic Protozoa; 2018

GCRF Global Network for NTDs

SUMOylation is a post-translational modification that involves the attachment of the proteinSUMO to target proteins. Like ubiquitin, SUMO can be attached as SUMO polymers, which havebeen shown to be important for proteasomal degradation, formation of subnuclear structures andstress responses. Trypanosoma brucei has a single SUMO gene, and using a recentlydeveloped bacterial strain engineered to produce SUMOylated proteins we confirmed thatTbSUMO is able to form chains. In addition, the development of transgenic parasites unable toform chains demonstrated that these structures are not essential for normal growth in culture,but have a role in maintaining the modified proteins at the nucleus of the procyclic form, and arole during mice infection with the bloodstream form of the parasite.