The Use of Multimeric Protein Scaffolds for Identifying Multi-SUMO Binding Proteins.

The use of in vitro assays, such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-downs, enables the study of complex cellular processes in a simplified form. Pull-down assays facilitate the discovery and detailed study of protein-protein interactions, which can then be extrapolated to the cellular environment. Here, we describe the expression, purification and use of a multi-SUMO platform to identify SUMO-interacting proteins. This SUMO-platform can be easily expressed and purified from bacterial cells for use as baits in pull-down assays. This methodology facilitates the discovery of novel SUMO-binding proteins or further characterization of SUMO with known binding partners.