SUMO regulates the cytoplasmonuclear transport of its target protein Daxx

It is known that Fas death domain-associated protein (Daxx) possesses both putative nuclear and cytoplasmic functions. However, the nuclear transport mechanism is largely unknown. This study examined the nuclear location signal (NLS) of Daxx and whether the nuclear transport of Daxx was mediated by small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO). Two NLS motifs of Daxx, leucine (L)-rich nuclear export signal (NES)-like motif (188IXXLXXLLXL197) and C-terminal lysine (K) rich NLS2 (amino acids 627–634) motif, were identified and the K630 and K631 on the NLS2 motif were characterized as the major sumoylation sites of Daxx by in vitro sumoylation analysis. Proteins of inactive SUMO (SUMO-Δ), a sumoylation-incompetent mutant, and Daxx NLS mutants (Daxx-NESmut and Daxx NLS2mut) were dispersed in cytoplasm. The cytoplasmic dispersed Daxx mutants could be relocalized to nucleus by cotransfection with active SUMO, but not with inactive SUMO-Δ, demonstrating the role of SUMO on regulating the cytoplasmonuclear transport of Daxx. However, inactive SUMO-Δ could also be relocalized to nucleus during cotransfection with wild-type Daxx, suggesting that SUMO regulation of the cytoplasmonuclear transport of its target protein Daxx does not need covalent modification. This study shows that cytoplasmic SUMO has a biological role in enhancing the cytoplasmonuclear transport of its target protein Daxx and it may be done through the non-sumoylation interactions. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 895–911, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.