Human Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase Isozyme L3 (UCHL3) Enzyme

Background

UCHL3 is a deubiquitinating enzyme involved in ubiquitin recycling and protein turnover, ensuring cellular protein quality control and homeostasis. It cleaves ubiquitin precursors and removes ubiquitin chains from target proteins, preventing their premature degradation by the proteasome. UCHL3 is ubiquitously expressed and plays roles in DNA repair, apoptosis, and embryonic development. It is particularly essential for spermatogenesis, where it regulates chromatin remodeling and germ cell differentiation. Loss of UCHL3 function is associated with impaired cellular proteostasis, genomic instability, and reproductive defects. Studies show its involvement in tumor progression, where dysregulation of UCHL3 alters protein degradation pathways, contributing to cancer cell survival. Knockout models exhibit defects in germ cell development, growth retardation, and increased sensitivity to cellular stress, underscoring its importance in ubiquitin regulation, cellular stability, and reproductive biology.