Ubiquitin-Fold Modifier 1 (UFM1) is a ubiquitin-like protein that plays a crucial role in various cellular processes. It is a small protein consisting of 85 amino acids and is highly conserved across multicellular organisms . UFM1 is involved in a post-translational modification process known as ufmylation, which is analogous to ubiquitination.
UFM1 is synthesized as a precursor protein (pro-UFM1) and undergoes processing to become the mature form. The mature UFM1 can be covalently attached to target proteins via an isopeptide bond to lysine residues . This attachment can occur as a monomer or as a lysine-linked polymer . The recombinant form of UFM1 is typically expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to high levels of purity (>95%) for research purposes .
The ufmylation process involves several key enzymes:
Ufmylation is implicated in various cellular functions, including:
Mutations or dysregulation of the UFM1 pathway have been associated with several diseases, including: