An Approach for the Identification of Proteins Modified with ISG15.

Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) encodes a protein that is most upregulated by type I interferon stimulation and, upon activation, is conjugated to various target proteins in a process known as ISGylation. ISGylation has been shown to have roles in various biological phenomena such as viral infection and cancer. To gain further insight into the function of ISGylation, it would be useful to be able to identify ISGylated proteins. Here, we describe a method for the identification of proteins modified with ISG15. This method involves the generation of stable ISG15-transfectant cells, followed by affinity purification, and then identification of the ISGylated proteins by mass spectrometry.