Date Thesis Awarded
5-2019
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Biology
Advisor
Oliver Kerscher
Committee Members
Diane C. Shakes
Phoebe Williams
Douglas D. Young
Abstract
SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier) is a small protein that becomes reversibly attached to a large number of proteins. While research has firmly established SUMO’s importance in modulating protein interactions, activation, targeting, and half-life, little is known about its role in the SUMO-Stress Response (SSR), a phenomenon that involves a rapid increase in SUMOylation in response to cellular stress. Here I describe the use of kmUTAG-fl, a novel fluorescent SUMO trapping UTAG protein, to characterize and study how the SSR unfolds in normal and carcinogenic tissue culture cells. Specifically, fixed cells were stained with the SUMO-conjugate specific kmUTAG-fl reagent to record and quantitate differences between normal (PNT2) and carcinogenic cells (PC3). While both types of cells displayed grossly altered SUMO level, carcinogenic cells featured a more rapid and reproducible increase of SUMOylation in both the nucleus and the cytosol. This elevated SSR, potentially unique to carcinogenic cells, may represent a novel hallmark of cancer and the implications of this finding are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Yin, Rui, "The SUMO-Stress Response (SSR) in Normal and Cancerous Cells" (2019). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1362.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1362
