The Role of Ubiquitination and SUMOylation in DNA Replication

DNA replication is a tightly regulated conserved process that ensures the faithful transmission of genetic material to define heritable phenotypic traits. Perturbations in this process result in genomic instability, mutagenesis, and diseases, including malignancy. Proteins involved in the initiation, progression, and termination of DNA replication are subject to a plethora of reversible post-translational modifications (PTMs) to provide a proper temporal and spatial control of replication. Among these, modifications involving the covalent attachment of the small protein ubiquitin or the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to replication and replication-associated proteins are particularly important for the proper regulation of DNA replication as well as for optimal cellular responses to replication stress. In this article, we describe how the ubiquitination and SUMOylation processes impact DNA replication in eukaryotes and highlight the consequences of deregulated signals emanating from these two versatile regulatory pathways on cellular activities.