Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Functional Characterization of RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Ligases In Vitro and In Planta
Published on: December 5, 2019
Chemical and genetic strategies for manipulating polyubiquitin chain structure
Sara Volk1, Min Wang, Cecile M Pickart
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Abstract:
Ubiquitin can be conjugated to lysine residues of other ubiquitin molecules to form polymers called polyubiquitin chains. Ubiquitin has seven lysine residues, creating the potential for seven distinct types of chains, at least five of which have been observed in vitro or in vivo. A subset of these chains mediates substrate targeting to proteasomes, whereas other types of chains have been implicated in nonproteolytic signaling pathways. In this chapter, we outline chemical and genetic strategies that can be used to deduce (or control) the structures of polyubiquitin chains in vitro and in living cells.
Related Concept Videos
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein.
Regulated Protein Degradation
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order to...
The Proteasome
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. This involves participation of a series of enzymes including— E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3 (ubiquitin...
The Proteasome
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. A series of enzymes carry out the ubiquitination of the target proteins - E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
The Proteasome Structure
The proteasome is an...

