SUMO2 and SUMO3 are members of the SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) protein family. This protein family functions in a manner similar to ubiquitin in that it is bound to target proteins as part of a post-translational modification system. However, unlike ubiquitin which targets proteins for degradation, this protein is involved in a variety of cellular processes, such as nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and protein stability. In vertebrates, three members of the SUMO family have been described, SUMO 1 and the functionally distinct homologues SUMO 2 and SUMO 3. SUMO modification sites present in the N terminal regions of SUMO 2 and SUMO 3 are utilized by SAE1/SAE2 (SUMO E1) and Ubc9 (SUMO E2) to form polymeric chains of SUMO 2 and SUMO 3 on protein substrates, a property not shared by SUMO 1.