Most of the previous reports believe that AF induce apoptosis by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase activity and increasing intracellular ROS levels; however, our recent study unravels that AF-induced apoptosis depends on AF-mediated inhibition of proteasomal deubiquitinases (DUBs,UCHL5 and USP14) but not ROS generation [26]. This evidence concerns the gene UCHL5 and atrial fibrillation.