Gene expression

Biology

Histone H2A

Promoter

Gene

Cell biology

Histone methyltransferase

DNA methylation

Genetics

Chromatin

Histone-modifying enzymes

Histone code

Histone H1

Chromatin remodeling

RNA polymerase II

Histone

Nucleosome

SUMO protein

Ubiquitin

Histone methylation

Nucleic Acids Research

Chromatin structure and gene expression are dynamically controlled by post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone proteins, including ubiquitylation, methylation, acetylation and small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) conjugation. It was initially thought that histone sumoylation exclusively suppressed gene transcription, but recent advances in proteomics and genomics have uncovered its diverse functions in cotranscriptional processes, including chromatin remodeling, transcript elongation, and blocking cryptic initiation. Histone sumoylation is integral to complex signaling codes that prime additional histone PTMs as well as modifications of the RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain (RNAPII-CTD) during transcription. In addition, sumoylation of histone variants is critical for the DNA double-strand break (DSB) response and for chromosome segregation during mitosis. This review describes recent findings on histone sumoylation and its coordination with other histone and RNAPII-CTD modifications in the ...

Histone sumoylation and chromatin dynamics