Reference

The ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 plays a crucial role in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, primarily through a process known as neddylation. NEDD8 is conjugated to target proteins, which modifies their function or stability. The most well-known targets of NEDD8 are the cullin family of proteins. NEDD8 conjugation, or neddylation, activates cullin-RING ligases (CRLs), which are a major class of ubiquitin ligases. This activation is essential for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of proteins, thus regulating various cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and signal transduction.

NEDD8 also acts as a regulator of ubiquitin-protein ligases and plays a role in responding to cellular stress and regulating cell cycle progression. This function is vital for maintaining cellular proteostasis and responding to potentially damaging cellular conditions.

For additional information, you can refer to these resources:

1. Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-Like Proteins in Protein Regulation

2. NEDD8 Pathway Is Required for Proteasome-Mediated Degradation

Here is a diagram representing the role of neddylation in cellular processes:

This image shows how NEDD8 modifies cullin-RING ligases, which operate within the ubiquitin-proteasome system.