what does ubiquitin do
Ubiquitin: A small but extremely important protein that acts the kiss of death to other proteins. Ubiquitin consists of only 76 amino acids.In the normal course of events, proteins are inactivated by the attachment of ubiquitin to them, a process called ubiquitination. Ubiquitin acts as a tag by which the protein-transport machinery ferries a protein to the proteasome for degradation.Antagonizing this process are enzymes that remove ubiquitin from proteins. Ubiquitin is appropriately named since it is ubiquitous and is present in virtually all types of cells.biquitin acts as a tag by which the protein-transport machinery ferries a protein to the proteasome for degradation. Antagonizing this process are enzymes that remove ubiquitin from proteins. Ubiquitin is appropriately named since it is ubiquitous and is present in virtually all types of cells.