One ring to rule a superfamily of E3 ubiquitin ligases
Tyers, M.; Willems, A.R.
Science 284(5414): 601 603-4
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 10328744 Document Number: 503842
In this issue, two reports offer structural and functional insights into what may yet prove to be a superfamily of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, the SCF, the APC, and the VCB families The ubiquitin system of intracellular protein degradation is pivotal to cellular regulation because it controls the stability and abundance of critical regulatory proteins in the cell. The system tags proteins for degradation through an enzymatic pathway that adds a poly-ubiquitin chain to the protein, which then acts as a substrate for a protease complex. Protein degradation must be very discriminating to prevent the cell from cannibalizing itself and the substrate recognition step mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligases is vital in this regard. The writer discusses the similarities between the three families of ligases.