Title:SUMOylation Regulation of Retina Development and Functions
Volume: 16
Issue: 9
Author(s): L. Zhang and D. W.-C. Li
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Retina development, SUMOylation, SUMO1/2/3, photoreceptor specification, transcription factor,
neurotransmission.
Abstract: The structure and developmental mechanisms of vertebrate
retina are highly conserved. One of the most distinctive events during
retinogenesis is the temporally and spatially generation of seven types of
retinal cells from the multipotent retinal progenitor cells. The importance and
prevalence of SUMOylation in regulation of this process through modulation
of gene expression and protein function diversity have been increasingly
appreciated. Here, we review the biological significance of SUMOylation in
retina development, examine how SUMOylation balances the proliferation
and cell cycle exit of retinal progenitor cells, and finally discuss the
molecular mechanisms mediating the specification of different retina
neurons and photoreceptors through modulation of various transcription factors. The potential
role of SUMOylation in normal retina function is illustrated by the abundant expression of key
components of SUMOylation machinery in mouse retina, and is also exemplified by the highly
conserved SUMOylation site on neurotransmission receptors in ganglion cells.
