# The C-terminal tail of the RBR E3 ligase RNF14 defines branched K6/K48 polyubiquitin specificity in ribosomal quality control

Source: [cell.com](https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(26)00744-6?rss=yes) · 2026-11-10 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/the-c-terminal-tail-of-the-rbr-e3-ligase-rnf14-defines-branched-k6-k48-polyubiqu-a79c31259cf15a3f
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- Trevelyan et al. report that the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF14 forms branched K6/K48 polyubiquitin.
- The study identifies the C-terminal tail of RNF14 as a critical component for its chain-type and branching activity.
- The work is framed as relevant to ribosomal quality control.

## Why it matters

It clarifies how a specific E3 ligase builds a particular branched ubiquitin chain, a step that could matter for understanding how damaged ribosomal translation is handled in cells.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Study published in Molecular Cell

## Coverage

- [The C-terminal tail of the RBR E3 ligase RNF14 defines branched K6/K48 polyubiquitin specificity in ribosomal quality control](https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(26)00744-6?rss=yes) — cell.com, 2026-11-10

Tags: ubiquitin, e3 ligase, ribosomal quality control, rnf14, polyubiquitin

---

Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science