Expression of SUMO Isoforms in Different Compartments of Mouse Eye

Abstract

Purpose : Our recent studies have shown that SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 have distinct functions in regulating lens differentiation (Gong et al. 2014 PNAS). To further explore the functions of sumoylation in othee tissues of the vertebrate eye, here we have characterized the expression patterns of different SUMO isoforms in these tissues.

Methods : QRT-PCR, Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis were used for the detection of SUMO isoform expression patterns.

Results : Compared with SUMO2/3, SUMO1 is highly expressed in the cornea, retina and lens epithelial cells. The number of proteins conjugated by SUMO1 is: retina>lens epithelial cells>cornea>Lens fiber cells. Unconjugated SUMO isoforms are hardly detected in C57 mice.

Conclusions : SUMO isoforms differentially conjugated to various proteins in retina, lens and cornea. Sumoylation may play an important role in different tissues of the vertebrate eye. [Supported by the grant (No. 81570824) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Research Prevent Blindness to UNMC, and the Fundamental Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, and the Graduate Scholarship from Sun Yat-sen University]

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.