Ubiquitin Exists either covalently attached to another protein, or free (unanchored). When covalently bound, it is conjugated to target proteins via an isopeptide bond either as a monomer (monoubiquitin), a polymer linked via different Lys residues of the ubiquitin (polyubiquitin chains) or a linear polymer linked via the initiator Met of the ubiquitin (linear polyubiquitin chains). Polyubiquitin chains, when attached to a target protein, have different functions depending on the Lys residue of the ubiquitin that is linked: Lys-6-linked may be involved in DNA repair; Lys-11-linked is involved in ERAD (endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation) and in cell-cycle regulation; Lys-29-linked is involved in proteotoxic stress response and cell cycle; Lys-33-linked is involved in kinase modification; Lys-48-linked is involved in protein degradation via the proteasome; Lys-63-linked is involved in endocytosis, DNA-damage responses as well as in signaling processes leading to activation of the transcription factor NF-kappa-B. Linear polymer chains formed via attachment by the initiator Met lead to cell signaling. Ubiquitin is usually conjugated to Lys residues of target proteins, however, in rare cases, conjugation to Cys or Ser residues has been observed. When polyubiquitin is free (unanchored-polyubiquitin), it also has distinct roles, such as in activation of protein kinases, and in signaling (By similarity). Ribosomal protein S27a is a component of the 40S subunit of the ribosome. Ribosomal protein S27a is part of the 40S ribosomal subunit. Ubiquitin is synthesized as a polyubiquitin precursor with exact head to tail repeats, the number of repeats differ between species. In some species there is a final amino-acid after the last repeat. Some ubiquitin genes contain a single copy of ubiquitin fused to a ribosomal protein (either L40 or S27a). In the N-terminal section; belongs to the ubiquitin family. In the C-terminal section; belongs to the eukaryotic ribosomal protein eS31 family.