Final Report Summary - SUMO (Study of the role of protein posttranslational modification by SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier) in abscisic acid signaling and stress responses in plants.)
We have found that, in addition to the essential function during early stages of seed development, SUMO conjugation has also a major role during seed maturation and early phases of seed germination, suggesting that SUMO could be a key regulator of plant developmental transitions.
Another important aspect that we have addressed is the identification of SUMO targets and SUMO interacting proteins, which are the molecular effectors of the SUMO biological role. We have used two complementary Omic approaches, the biochemical purification of endogenous SUMO conjugates and the combination of yeast two-hybrid screens with massive sequencing. Among the identified candidates, ABA signaling and seed specific proteins were identified, although, as in previous similar reports, a wide range of protein families are represented suggesting that SUMO potentially regulates any single cellular process.