Ubiquitin family as novel protein partners for molecular glues

Abstract Molecular glues are small molecules that induce ternary complexes between a protein of interest and a partner protein, creating therapeutic mechanisms distinct from traditional inhibitors. This minireview examines binding-site architectures of clinically tested molecular glues and extends these insights to ubiquitin-family partner proteins. Structural analysis suggests recurring recognition features, while emerging computational methods may accelerate discovery and optimization of ubiquitin-directed glues for therapeutic applications.