UAS regulatory sequences drive expression of a synthetic linear polyubiquitin construct with Ecol\birA added at the C-terminus. Each ubiquitin chain in the construct (there are 6 copies present) has an N-terminal 16 amino acid sequence (Tag:BLRP) that can be biotinylated by Ecol\birA with high efficiency, together with a 5 amino-acid linker that provides accessibility to the tag by the Ecol\birA enzyme.
The precursor protein produced from this construct (6 copies of tagged ubiquitin fused to Ecol\birA) is digested in vivo by endogenous deubiquitinating enzymes. This is followed by Ecol\birA-mediated biotinylation of the ubiquitin chains which are tagged with T:Zzzz\BLRP (a 16 amino acid residue biotinylation sequence recognised by Ecol\birA). The biotinylated ubiquitin can than be incorporated by endogenous ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes into their substrates in vivo.