Ubiquitin Binding Protein 2-Like (UBAP2L): is it so NICE After All?
Lucile Guerber1,2,3,4, Evanthia Pangou1,2,3,4, Izabela Sumara1,2,3,4
1Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France.
Abstract:
Ubiquitin Binding Protein 2-like (UBAP2L, also known as NICE-4) is a ubiquitin- and RNA-binding protein, highly conserved in metazoans. Despite its abundance, its functions have only recently started to be characterized. Several studies have demonstrated the crucial involvement of UBAP2L in various cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation, stem cell activity and stress-response signaling. In addition, UBAP2L has recently emerged as a master regulator of growth and proliferation in several human cancers, where it is suggested to display oncogenic properties. Given that this versatile protein is involved in the regulation of multiple and distinct cellular pathways, actively contributing to the maintenance of cell homeostasis and survival, UBAP2L might represent a good candidate for future therapeutic studies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge and latest advances on elucidating UBAP2L cellular functions, with an aim to highlight the importance of targeting UBAP2L for future therapies.
Related Concept Videos
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...
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Covalently Linked Protein Regulators
These groups modify specific amino acids in a protein....
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...
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...
The Unfolded Protein Response


