Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 11 (USP11)

Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 11 (USP11) is an enzyme encoded by the USP11 gene in humans and is a member of the largest subfamily of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), specifically the ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs). USP11 mediates the removal of ubiquitin from protein targets, reversing ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and modulating diverse cellular processes such as DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, transcription, and signal transduction. It consists of distinct structural domains, including a DUSP domain and multiple ubiquitin-like (UBL) domains, conferring substrate recognition and regulatory capacity. USP11 plays a dual role in tumor biology, participating both in DNA repair and cellular stress responses, which makes it a potential—but complex—therapeutic target in oncology and other diseases linked to genomic instability or dysregulated proteostasis.

Other names

Ubiquitin-specific protease 11UHX1

Drugs or molecular agents targeting USP11 would act as enzyme inhibitors or activators, affecting the deubiquitination of substrate proteins, altering cellular protein stability and signaling