SUMO protease SENP6 protects the nucleus from hyperSUMOylation-induced laminopathy-like alterations
Magda Liczmanska,
Michael H. Tatham,
Barbara Mojsa,
Ania Eugui-Anta,
Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez,
Adel F.M. Ibrahim,
Ronald T. Hay
Affiliations
Magda Liczmanska
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Michael H. Tatham
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Barbara Mojsa
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Ania Eugui-Anta
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Adel F.M. Ibrahim
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
Ronald T. Hay
Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; Corresponding author
Summary: The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protease SENP6 disassembles SUMO chains from cellular substrate proteins. We use a proteomic method to identify putative SENP6 substrates based on increased apparent molecular weight after SENP6 depletion. Proteins of the lamin family of intermediate filaments show substantially increased SUMO modification after SENP6 depletion. This is accompanied by nuclear structural changes remarkably like those associated with laminopathies. Two SUMO attachment sites on lamin A/C are close to sites of mutations in Emery-Driefuss and limb girdle muscular dystrophy. To establish a direct link between lamin SUMOylation and the observed phenotype, we developed proximity-induced SUMO modification (PISM), which fuses a lamin A/C targeting DARPin to a SUMO E3 ligase domain. This directly targets lamin A/C for SUMO conjugation and demonstrates that enhanced lamin SUMO modification recapitulates the altered nuclear structure manifest after SENP6 depletion. This shows SENP6 activity protects the nucleus against hyperSUMOylation-induced laminopathy-like alterations.
