Although Archaea encode proteasomes highly related to those of eukaryotes, archaeal ubiquitin-like proteins are less conserved and not known to function in protein conjugation, complicating our understanding of the origins of ubiquitination. Two small archaeal modifier proteins, SAMP1 and SAMP2, structurally similar to ubiquitin, are now reported to form protein conjugates in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii.
- Matthew A. Humbard
- Hugo V. Miranda
- Julie A. Maupin-Furlow
