A special issue of Essays in Biochemistry on proteasome and protein degradation

Research on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is expanding exponentially across the subcontinents of Asia, including China, India, Israel, Korea, and Japan, as evidenced by recent conferences held in Asia. In the present special issue, we have compiled several review articles on the recent research developments in the UPS field from the conference speakers in the last two proteasome conferences organized during late 2024 and early 2025 in Asia-the XII-ZOMES conference in Shenzhen, China, and ProUPS-25 in Chennai, India. Together, these reviews emphasize the complex mechanisms of post-translational modifications, ubiquitin signaling, and specialized proteasome functions through which the UPS regulates diverse processes, including proteostasis, gene expression, immunity, plant development, mitochondrial dynamics and function, and disease pathways such as cancer, fibrosis, and neurodegeneration. Finally, the present special issue underscores the growing therapeutic potential of targeting the UPS, including proteasome inhibitors and emerging technologies like PROTACs (proteolysis targeting chimeras), positioning the system as a key platform for developing precision treatments for a wide range of diseases.