Ubiquitination, one type of the most common post-translational modification, mediates the regulation of protein homeostasis in vivo. Since ubiquitin itself contains multiple lysine residues and one N-terminal free amino group, eight types of ubiquitin chains can be formed. The K27 ubiquitin chain is formed through the ubiquitination of the ubiquitin Lys27 (K27), which adopts a compact conformation. In recent years, biological function of the K27 ubiquitin chain in innate immunity, protein homeostasis and DNA damage has been discovered, but the molecular mechanisms of K27 ubiquitin chain assembly, recognition and hydrolysis are still poorly understood. Here we review the structural features and biological functions of K27 ubiquitin chain, to provide a reference for future studies.