Enables SUMO activating enzyme activity. Involved in several processes, including anterior/posterior pattern specification; nematode larval development; and protein sumoylation. Predicted to be part of SUMO activating enzyme complex. Predicted to be active in cytoplasm. Orthologous to human UBA2 (ubiquitin like modifier activating enzyme 2).
WB Description
uba-2 encodes the C. elegans ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Uba2p and human ubiquitin-like 2 activating enzyme E1B; by homology, UBA-2 is predicted to form, with a regulatory subunit, AOS-1, a heterodimeric enzyme that activates the ubiquitin-like protein SMO-1/SUMO in preparation for its covalent attachment to target proteins to regulate their subcellular localization and/or stability; in C. elegans, UBA-2 is required for embryogenesis and vulval development, as well as for proper Hox gene regulation; uba-2/aos-1(RNAi) animals that survive embryogenesis show ectopic expression of EGL-5 and ectopic anterior sensory ray formation.