Two-way communications between ubiquitin-like modifiers and DNA

Abstract

Many aspects of nucleic acid metabolism, such as DNA replication, repair and transcription, are regulated by the post-translational modifiers ubiquitin and SUMO. Not surprisingly, DNA itself plays an integral part in determining the modification of most chromatin-associated targets. Conversely, ubiquitination or SUMOylation of a protein can impinge on its DNA-binding properties. This review describes mechanistic principles governing the mutual interactions between DNA and ubiquitin or SUMO.