Localization Patterns of Sumoylation Enzymes E1, E2 and E3 in Cell Lines Predict Their Functional Importance.

It is well established now that protein sumoylation acts as an important regulatory mechanism mediating control of ocular development through regulation of multiple transcription factors. Yet the functional mechanisms of each factor modulated remains to be further explored using the available in vitro systems. In this regard, various ocular cell lines including HLE, FHL124, αTN4-1, N/N1003A and ARPE-19 have been demonstrated to be useful for biochemical and molecular analyses of normal physiology and pathogenesis. We have recently examined that these cell lines express a full set of sumoylation enzymes E1, E2 and E3. Following this study, here we have examined the localization of these enzymes and determined their differential localization patterns in these major ocular cell lines. Together, our results demonstrate that these cell lines can be used for assay systems to explore the functional mechanisms of sumoylation mediating ocular development and pathogenesis.