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Updated: Mar 20, 2026

In Vitro Analysis of E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Function
Published on: May 14, 2021
The increasing complexity of the ubiquitin code
Richard Yau1,2, Michael Rape1,2
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Abstract:
Ubiquitylation is essential for signal transduction as well as cell division and differentiation in all eukaryotes. Substrate modifications range from a single ubiquitin molecule to complex polymeric chains, with different types of ubiquitylation often eliciting distinct outcomes. The recent identification of novel chain topologies has improved our understanding of how ubiquitylation establishes precise communication within cells. Here, we discuss how the increasing complexity of ubiquitylation is employed to ensure robust and faithful signal transduction in eukaryotic cells.
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