Post-translational modifications, such as SUMOylation, are exam- ples of cellular machineries hijacked by viruses to efficiently replicate. SUMOylation, which consists in the conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modi- fier (SUMO) peptides to a substrate, is exploited or hampered by numerous viruses during infection. Several viral proteins are SUMOylated, causing modulation of sub-cellular localization, stability or modifications of protein activities. In this review, recently described viral examples have been chosen to highlight the different strategies used by viruses to hijack SUMOylation in order to promote replication. The link between pathologies due to viral infec- tions and SUMOylation is discussed. Finally, the potential applications of SUMOylation inhibitors in the treatment of viral infections and associated cancer are evoked.
Keywords: SUMO; SUMO E3 ligases; SUMOylation; Ubc9; virus.