Detection and analysis of SUMOylation substrates in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

SUMOylation is a widely used protein posttranslational mechanism capable of regulating substrates localization, stability, and/or activity. Identification and characterization of bona fide SUMO substrates is a laborious task but its discovery can shed light to exquisite and crucial regulatory signaling events occurring within the cell. Experiments performed in the SUMOylation field often demand a good understanding of the putative substrate’s function and necessitate a solid knowledge regarding both in vitro and in vivo approaches. This contribution offers a simplified view into some of the most common experiments performed in biochemical and cell biological research of the SUMO pathway in mammalian systems. It also summarizes and updates well established protocols and tricks in order to improve the likelihood to obtain reliable and reproducible results.