The p62 protein, also called sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), is a ubiquitin-binding scaffold protein that colocalizes with ubiquitinated protein aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases and proteinopathies of the liver. The protein is able to polymerize via an N-terminal PB1 domain and can interact with ubiquitinated proteins via the C-terminal UBA domain. Also, p62/SQSTM1 binds directly to LC3 and GABARAP family proteins via a specific sequence motif. The protein is itself degraded by autophagy and may serve to link ubiquitinated proteins to the autophagic machinery to enable their degradation in the lysosome. Recent studies have revealed a novel function for p62 in innate immunity.