Ubiquitin at the crossroad of cell death and survival

Ubiquitination is crucial for cellular processes, such as protein degradation, apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle progression. Dysregulation of the ubiquitination network accounts for the development of numerous diseases, including cancer. Thus, targeting ubiquitination is a promising strategy in cancer therapy. Both apoptosis and autophagy are involved in tumorigenesis and response to cancer therapy. Although both are categorized as types of cell death, autophagy is generally considered to have protective functions, including protecting cells from apoptosis under certain cellular stress conditions. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the regulation of apoptosis and autophagy by ubiquitination.