Review

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 10, 398-409 (June 2009) | doi:10.1038/nrm2690

Physiological functions of the HECT family of ubiquitin ligases

Daniela Rotin1 & Sharad Kumar2  About the authors

Top

The ubiquitylation of proteins is carried out by E1, E2 and E3 (ubiquitin ligase) enzymes, and targets them for degradation or for other cellular fates. The HECT enzymes, including Nedd4 family members, are a major group of E3 enzymes that dictate the specificity of ubiquitylation. In addition to ubiquitylating proteins for degradation by the 26S proteasome, HECT E3 enzymes regulate the trafficking of many receptors, channels, transporters and viral proteins. The physiological functions of the yeast HECT E3 ligase Rsp5 are the best known, but the functions of HECT E3 enyzmes in metazoans are now becoming clearer from in vivo studies.

Author affiliations

  1. Program in Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.
    Email: drotin@sickkids.ca
  2. Molecular Regulation Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Biology, Hanson Institute, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
    Email: sharad.kumar@imvs.sa.gov.au

Published online 13 May 2009

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Targeting protein ubiquitylation: DDB1 takes its RING off

Nature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Apr 2009)

Itching to end NF-κB

Nature Immunology News and Views (01 Mar 2008)

Extra navigation

Subscribe

Subscribe to Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology

Search PubMed for

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

Advertisement