Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9570
ISSN: 2155-9570
David W Li, Lili Gong, Weike Ji, Fang Yuan Liu, Ling Wang, Qian Nie, Jia-Wen Xiang, Xiao-Dong Gong, Zigang Chen, Zhong-Wen Luo, Lan Zhang, Xiang-Cheng Tang, Ruili Qi, Mi Deng, Zhaoxia Huang, Xiaohui Hu, Quan Dong Nguyen, and Yi-Zhi Liu
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center - Sun Yat-Sen University, China
Hunan Normal University, China
Truhlsen Eye Institute - University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA
Tongji Medical College - Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Byers Eye Institute - Stanford University Medical Center, USA
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Ophthalmol
SUMOylation is now established as one of the key regulatory protein modifications in eukaryotic cells. It regulates chromatin organization, transcription, DNA repair, macromolecular assembly, protein homeostasis, trafficking, signal transduction, cell differentiation and stem cell development. It also acts as a molecular mechanism mediating global changes at the cellular and organism levels when stress conditions such as heat shock or oxidative stress occur. More importantly, SUMOylation plays causal roles in many major human diseases such as cardiovascular, neuronal diseases and cancers. In the eye, SUMOylation plays a key role in retina development, and it has causal effects on corneal dystrophy. Our recent studies revealed that SUMOylation is necessary to activate the p32 Pax6, the shortest isoform of Pax6, the master regulator for eye and brain development. Moreover, our studies further revealed that sumoylation plays an important role in regulating lens differentiation. Different isforms of SUMO are differentially expressed in the ocular lens and plays contrast roles in regulating lens differentiation. While SUMO1 promotes lens differentiation, SUMO2 and SUMO3 inhibits this process. Mechanistically, SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 can either conjugate different transcription factors or conjugate to the same factor but with different preferred SUMOylation sites. In the present study, we discuss the functions of different SUMO isoforms in controlling lens development
David Wan Cheng Li received his PhD degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Washington in Seattle, and completed his Postdoctoral training in the Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia Medical Center in New York City. He is currently an elected One-Hundred Talent Professor in the State Key Laboratory of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center in Sun Yat-Sen University, an elected Lotus Scholar Professor of Cellular and Developmental Biology in Hunan Normal University in China. He made numerous important discoveries in both eye development and ocular diseases as well as cancer research fields, published over 100 articles in PNAS, NAR, Cancer Research, CDD, Oncogene, MBC, JBC, and IOVS, etc. He has trained 30 PhD students and Postdoctoral fellows, and lectured in a dozens of countries including German, England, USA, Japan and China. He receiverd the Outstanding Achievements Award of Cataract Research from the National Foundation for Eye Research, USA in 2006