Tools to study SUMO conjugation in Caenorhabditis elegans

The cell biology of sumoylation has mostly been studied using transformed cultured cells and yeast. In recent years, genetic analysis has demonstrated important roles for sumoylation in the biology of C. elegans. Here, we expand the existing set of tools making it possible to address the role of sumoylation in the nematode C. elegans using a combination of genetics, imaging, and biochemistry. Most importantly, the dynamics of SUMO conjugation and deconjugation can be followed very precisely both in space and time within living worms. Additionally, the biochemistry of SUMO conjugation and deconjugation can be addressed using recombinant purified components of the C. elegans sumoylation machinery, including E3 ligases and SUMO proteases. These tools and reagents will be useful to gain insights into the biological role of SUMO in the context of a multicellular organism.