Sumo1 — Small Ubiquitin Like Modifier 1 is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.
Overview
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
SUMO1 (Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier 1) is a gene located on chromosome 2q33 that encodes the SUMO1 protein, a member of the SUMO family of ubiquitin-like proteins. SUMOylation is a post-translational modification process that involves the covalent attachment of SUMO proteins to target proteins, regulating their localization, stability, activity, and protein-protein interactions.[@hay2005]
The gene is catalogued as NCBI Gene ID [7341](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7341).
Function
SUMO1 encodes a small ubiquitin-like protein (~101 amino acids) that can be covalently attached to lysine residues in target proteins through an enzymatic cascade involving E1, E2, and E3 enzymes.
SUMOylation Process
E1 (SAE1/UBA2): SUMO-activating enzyme
E2 (UBC9): SUMO-conjugating enzyme
E3 ligases: PIAS family, RanBP2, etc.
Normal Function
SUMOylation regulates:
Protein localization: Nuclear-cytoplasmic transport
Protein stability: Protection from ubiquitination
Protein activity: Modulation of enzymatic function
Protein-protein interactions: Scaffold assembly
Transcription: Regulation of TFs and co-factors
Brain Expression
SUMO1 is ubiquitously expressed with high levels in:
Cerebral [cortex](/brain-regions/cortex)
[Hippocampus](/brain-regions/hippocampus)
Heart
Liver
Disease Associations
Neurodegeneration
SUMOylation is critically involved in neurodegenerative diseases:
Parkinson's disease: SUMOylation of [alpha-synuclein](/mechanisms/alpha-synuclein), LRRK2
Huntington's disease: SUMOylation of [huntingtin](/proteins/huntingtin)
Alzheimer's disease: SUMOylation of [tau](/proteins/tau), [APP](/entities/app-protein)
ALS: SUMOylation of [TDP-43](/proteins/tdp-43), SOD1
Cancer
Altered SUMOylation in multiple cancers
SUMOylation of tumor suppressors and oncogenes
Diabetes
SUMOylation of insulin signaling components
Role in pancreatic beta cell function
Key Publications
[SUMO: a history of modification](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2005.09.013). Molecular Cell, 2005.
[SUMOylation in neurodegenerative disease](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2013.08.003). Trends in Neurosciences, 2013.
[The SUMO system in neurodegenerative disease](https://doi.org/10.1002/em.21880). Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 2013.
Allen Brain Atlas Resources
[SUMO1 Gene Expression in Human Brain](https://human.brain-map.org/molecular/search?q=SUMO1) - Gene expression data across brain regions
[SUMO1 in Mouse Brain](https://mouse.brain-map.org/gene/show/11499) - Expression patterns in mouse brain
[Single-Cell Expression](https://celltype.c南方manbrain.org/) - Single-cell RNA-seq data for cell type expression
The study of Sumo1 — Small Ubiquitin Like Modifier 1 has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.
Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.
References
Hay RT et al., SUMO: a history of modification, Molecular Cell, 2005 (2005)
Unknown, SUMOylation in neurodegenerative disease (2013)
Unknown, The SUMO system in neurodegenerative disease (2013)
Pathway Diagram
The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving SUMO1 — Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier 1 discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis: