Establishing the basis for selectivity in the SUMO spray    

Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to generate all the types of cells required to make a human. The pluripotent state is maintained by many factors that regulate how genes are expressed in these cells. One of these factors is known as SUMO and it functions by linking to other proteins involved in regulating gene expression and altering their activity. SUMO is not added to single proteins but is ‘sprayed’ onto groups of proteins acting as a protein glue and stabilising the protein complexes.   

We want to determine how a protein known as the PIAS SUMO ligase selects groups of proteins for modification out of the many thousands of proteins contained in the cell. Selecting the correct proteins for tagging is critical. We will try and figure out how PIAS recognises its targets. We will also determine the mechanism by which PIAS accomplishes the modification reaction and establish the consequences of PIAS action.

Our findings will help us establish the basis of selectivity in the SUMO spray.