Structure and functions of the proteasome

This article describes the structure and functions of proteasomes. The eukaryotic 26S proteasome is a complex consisting of one 20S main proteasome and two 19S regulatory caps. The 20S-nuclear proteasome contains seven different α-subunits and seven different β-subunits in its double symmetric α7β7β7α7 folded complex. The main functions of the proteasome are the digestion of proteins intended for destruction due to binding to ubiquitin and protein processing.