title: Sumo Modification of Ion Channels.
abstract: Recently, a role for SUMO modification outside of the nucleus has emerged. Although the number of extranuclear proteins known to be sumoylated is comparatively small, ion channels represent one important new class of these proteins. Ion channels are responsible for the control of membrane excitability and therefore are critical for fundamental physiological processes such as muscle contraction, neuronal firing, and cellular homeostasis. As such, these ion-conducting proteins are subject to precise regulation. Recently, several studies have identified sumoylation as a novel mechanism of modulating ion channel function. These studies expand the list of known functions of sumoylation and reveal that, in addition to its more established role in the regulation of nuclear proteins, this modification plays important roles at the cytoplasmic face of membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Iñiguez-Lluhí
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. martensj@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D015398:Signal Transduction; D025841:Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D058207:Sumoylation; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D025841:Small Ubiquitin-Related Modifier Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
keywords: Ligand-gated channels; Potassium channels; Voltage-gated channels