Ubiquitous ubiquitin: From bacteria to eukaryotes

In a recent issue of Nature, Chambers et al.1 combined bioinformatics, biochemistry, and X-ray crystallography to uncover the presence of a ubiquitin-like machinery in bacteria, which was believed to be unique to archaea and eukaryotes. This study highlights the prevalence of a ubiquitin-like system in bacteria that was later adopted by the eukaryotes for various purposes such as protein degradation. In a recent issue of Nature, Chambers et al. combined bioinformatics, biochemistry, and X-ray crystallography to uncover the presence of a ubiquitin-like machinery in bacteria, which was believed to be unique to archaea and eukaryotes. This study highlights the prevalence of ubiquitin-like system in bacteria that was later adopted by the eukaryotes for various purposes such as protein degradation.