Degron
![Shown here in green is IkBa, the Inhibitor of NF-κB and regulator of the immune system. The red region highlights a Ubiquitin-Independent degron](/Images/godic/202501/08/Ikba_degron4116.jpg")
![Shown is a diagram representing two degron-identifying procedures outlined in the text. In the first (green) procedure, the unaltered form of the protein remains abundant over time while the mutant form containing a degron candidate decreases rapidly. In the second (red) procedure the unaltered form of a protein containing the degron candidate decreases rapidly overtime while the mutant form stripped of its degron remains abundant. A' vs. A are used to notate protein forms containing the degron vs not containing the degron.](/Images/godic/202501/08/Abundance_over_time4116.jpg")
A degron is a portion of a protein that is important in regulation of protein degradation rates. Known degrons include short amino acid sequences, structural motifs and exposed amino acids (often Lysine or Arginine) located anywhere in the protein. In fact, some proteins can even contain multiple degrons. Degrons are present in a variety of organisms, from the N-degrons (see N-end Rule) first characterized in yeast to the PEST sequence of mouse ornithine decarboxylase. Degrons have been identified in prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes. While there are many types of different degrons, and a high degree of variability even within these groups, degrons are all similar for their involvement in regulating the rate of a protein’s degradation. Much like protein degradation (see proteolysis) mechanisms are categorized by their dependence or lack thereof on Ubiquitin, a small protein involved in proteasomal protein degradation, degrons are also be referred to as “Ubiquitin-dependent" or “Ubiquitin-independent".