Non-Proteasomal UbL-UbA Family of Proteins in Neurodegeneration

• Main Authors: Salinee Jantrapirom, Luca Lo Piccolo, Masamitsu Yamaguchi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: UbL-UbA; non-proteasomal ubiquitin receptor; proteostasis; ubiquitin-like; neurodegenerative diseases; <i>Drosophila</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/8/1893

Ubiquitin-like/ubiquitin-associated proteins (UbL-UbA) are a well-studied family of non-proteasomal ubiquitin receptors that are evolutionarily conserved across species. Members of this non-homogenous family facilitate and support proteasomal activity by promoting different effects on proteostasis but exhibit diverse extra-proteasomal activities. Dysfunctional UbL-UbA proteins render cells, particularly neurons, more susceptible to stressors or aging and may cause earlier neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarized the properties and functions of UbL-UbA family members identified to date, with an emphasis on new findings obtained using <i>Drosophila</i> models showing a direct or indirect role in some neurodegenerative diseases.