Otubain 2 (OTUB2) is a member of DUBs that belong to the ovarian tumour (OTU) superfamily of proteins which consists of a five-stranded β-sheet sandwiched in between a small helical amino-terminal region consisting of α1 and α2, and a large helical region comprised of α3-α10. Like other DUBs, otubain 2 (OTUB2) cleaves proteins precisely at the ubiquitin-protein bond so that ubiquitylation process can be reversed and regulated. Otubain 2 (OTUB2)'s active-site cleft is sterically occluded by a novel loop conformation resulting in an oxyanion hole, which consists uniquely of backbone amides. Furthermore, the residues that orient and stabilize the active-site histidine of otubain 2 (OTUB2) are different from other cysteine proteases. This reorganization of the active-site topology provides a possible explanation for the low turnover and substrate specificity of the otubains.

Ubiquitin thioesterase OTUB1, also known as Deubiquitinating enzyme OTUB1, OTU domain-containing ubiquitin aldehyde-binding protein 1, Otubain-1, Ubiquitin-specific-processing protease OTUB1, OTUB1 and OTB1, is a cytoplasm protein that belongs to the peptidase C65 family. OTUB1 is a hydrolase that can remove conjugated ubiquitin from proteins and plays an important regulatory role at the level of protein turnover by preventing degradation. OTUB1 is a regulator of T-cell anergy, a phenomenon that occurs when T-cells are rendered unresponsive to antigen rechallenge and no longer respond to their cognate antigen. OTUB1 acts via its interaction with RNF128 / GRAIL, a crucial inductor of CD4 T-cell anergy. Isoform 1 of OTUB1 destabilizes RNF128, leading to prevent anergy. In contrast, isoform 2 of OTUB1 stabilizes RNF128 and promotes anergy. OTUB1 regulates RNF128-mediated ubiquitination, but does not deubiquitinate polyubiquitinated RNF128. Deubiquitinates estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1). OTUB1 mediates deubiquitination of 'Lys-48'-linked polyubiquitin chains, but not 'Lys-63'-linked polyubiquitin chains. OTUB1 is also capable of removing NEDD8 from NEDD8 conjugates, but with a much lower preference compared to 'Lys-48'-linked ubiquitin.