Ubiquitin and its binding domains.

Post-translational modification by ubiquitin (ubiquitination, ubiquitylation, ubiquitinylation) is used as a robust signaling mechanism in a variety of processes that are essential for cell homeostasis. Its signaling specificity is conferred by the inherent dynamics of ubiquitin, the multivalency of ubiquitin chains, and its subcellular context, often defined by ubiquitin receptors and the substrate. Greater than 150 ubiquitin receptors have been found and their ubiquitin-binding domains (UBDs) are structurally diverse and include alpha-helical motifs, zinc fingers (ZnF), pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains, ubiquitin conjugating (Ubc)-related structures and src homology 3 (SH3) domains. New UBD structural motifs continue to be identified expanding the ubiquitin-signaling map to proteins and structural families not previously associated with ubiquitin trafficking. In this manuscript, we highlight several ubiquitin receptors from the multiple UBD folds with a focus on the structural characteristics of their interaction with ubiquitin.