UFMylation: Exploring a lesser known post translational modification

Abstract

Ubiquitination is a highly conserved post-translational modification (PTM) in which ubiquitin (Ub) is covalently attached to substrate proteins resulting in the alteration of protein structure, function, and stability. Another class of PTM mediated by ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) has gained significant attention among researchers in recent years. This article focuses on one such UBL-mediated PTM i.e. UFMylation. The enzymatic mechanism of UFMylation is similar to ubiquitination, involving three steps regulated by three different enzymes. In plants, reports suggest that UFMylation is predominantly involved in maintaining ER homeostasis including ER-phagy. However, studies related to this PTM are limited and future studies might reveal other molecular pathways regulated by UFMylation.