PDRG1 at the interface between intermediary metabolism and oncogenesis

PDRG1 is a small oncogenic protein of 133 residues. In normal human tissues, the p53 and DNA damageregulated gene 1(PDRG1) gene exhibits maximal expression in the testis and minimal levels in the liver. Increased expression has been detected in several tumor cells and in response to genotoxic stress. High-throughput studies identified the PDRG1 protein in a variety of macromolecular complexes involved in processes that are altered in cancer cells. For example, this oncogene has been found as part of the RNA polymerase Ⅱ complex, the splicing machinery and nutrient sensing machinery, although its role in these complexes remains unclear. More recently, the PDRG1 protein was found as an interaction target for the catalytic subunits of methionine adenosyltransferases. These enzymes synthesize S-adenosylmethionine, the methyl donor for, among others, epigenetic methylations that occur on the DNA and histones. In fact, downregulation of S-adenosylmethionine synthesis is the first functional effect directly ascribed to PDRG1. The existence of global DNA hypomethylation, together with increased PDRG1 expression, in many tumor cells highlights the importance of this interaction as one of the putative underlying causes for cell transformation. Here, we will review the accumulated knowledge on this oncogene, emphasizing the numerous aspects that remain to be explored.

Identification of SUMO Targets by a Novel Proteomic Approach in Plants

Post-translational modifications （PTMs） chemically and physically alter the properties of proteins, including their folding, subcellular localization, stability, activity, and consequently their function. In spite of their relevance, studies on PTMs in plants are still limited. Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier （SUMO） modification regulates several biological processes by affecting protein-protein interactions, or changing the subcellular Iocalizations of the target proteins. Here, we describe a novel proteomic approach to identify SUMO targets that combines 2-D liquid chromatography, immunodetection, and mass spectrometry （MS） analyses. We have applied this approach to identify nuclear SUMO targets in response to heat shock. Using a bacterial SUMOylation system, we validated that some of the targets identified here are, in fact, labeled with SUMO1. Interestingly, we found that GIGANTEA （GI）, a photoperiodic-pathway protein, is modified with SUMO in response to heat shock both in vitro and in vivo.