UBE2D4 Human
Description
UBE2D4 is fused to a 20 amino acid His-tag at N-terminus & purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Ubiquitination is a critical post-translational modification process that occurs in all eukaryotic cells. It involves the covalent attachment of ubiquitin, a small 8.6 kDa protein, to specific residues on target proteins. This modification can occur as monoubiquitination, where a single ubiquitin molecule is attached, or polyubiquitination, where chains of ubiquitin molecules are formed. The primary function of polyubiquitination is to target proteins for degradation by the proteasome, although ubiquitination also plays significant roles in various cellular signaling pathways .
The ubiquitination process is mediated by a cascade of three types of enzymes: E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzymes), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes), and E3 (ubiquitin ligases). E2 enzymes are essential intermediates in this process, acting as ubiquitin donors for E3 ligases, which confer substrate specificity. The E2 enzymes are responsible for transferring ubiquitin from the E1 enzyme to the substrate protein, with the help of E3 ligases .
UBE2D4, also known as Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2D4, is a member of the UBE2D family of E2 enzymes. This family includes UBE2D1, UBE2D2, UBE2D3, and UBE2D4, all of which share a high degree of sequence similarity and functional redundancy. UBE2D4 plays a crucial role in the ubiquitination of various target proteins, including receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and components of the Hedgehog, TGFβ, and NFκB signaling pathways .
UBE2D4 is involved in several key cellular processes, including:
- Transcriptional Control: UBE2D4 acts as a donor for the ubiquitination of histone tails by the Polycomb protein Ring1B and the DNA methylation regulator UHRF1. This activity is essential for the regulation of gene expression and chromatin structure .
- DNA Repair: UBE2D4 plays a role in the DNA damage response by facilitating the ubiquitination of proteins involved in DNA repair pathways .
- Tumor Suppression: UBE2D4 is involved in the regulation of the tumor suppressor protein p53, which is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis and preventing cancer development .
The structural details of UBE2D4 have been elucidated using homology modeling techniques. These studies have provided valuable insights into the enzyme’s active site and its interactions with ubiquitin and substrate proteins. Understanding the structure of UBE2D4 is essential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting this enzyme for cancer treatment .
Recombinant UBE2D4 is produced using recombinant DNA technology, which involves the insertion of the UBE2D4 gene into an expression vector, followed by the expression of the protein in a suitable host organism, such as Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein is then purified using various chromatographic techniques to obtain a highly pure and active enzyme. Recombinant UBE2D4 is widely used in research to study the ubiquitination process and to develop potential therapeutic agents targeting this enzyme .
