Ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) also known as E6AP ubiquitin-protein ligase (E6AP) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the UBE3A gene.

This gene encodes an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, part of the ubiquitin protein degradation system. This imprinted gene is maternally expressed in brain and biallelically expressed in other tissues. Maternally inherited deletion of this gene causes Angelman Syndrome, characterized by severe motor and intellectual retardation, ataxia, hypotonia, epilepsy, absence of speech, and characteristic facies. The protein also interacts with the E6 protein of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18, resulting in ubiquitination and proteolysis of tumor protein p53. Alternative splicing of this gene results in three transcript variants encoding three isoforms with different N-termini. Additional transcript variants have been described, but their full length nature has not been determined. [provided by RefSeq].
Function: E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase which accepts ubiquitin from an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme in the form of a thioester and transfers it to its substrates. Several substrates have been identified including the RAD23A and RAD23B, MCM7 (which is involved in DNA replication), annexin A1, the PML tumor suppressor, and the cell cycle regulator CDKN1B. Additionally, may function as a cellular quality control ubiquitin ligase by helping the degradation of the cytoplasmic misfolded proteins. Finally, UBE3A also promotes its own degradation in vivo.