The p26, a multifunctional ubiquitin-binding protein, has been proposed to be involved in protein degradation as a component within the ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome systems. As a scaffolding protein with several different kinds of protein-protein interaction domains, p62 mediates various cellular functions. Importantly, p62 plays a critical role in cell's selective autophagy and oxidative stress response, which are associated with the pathogenesis of several human diseases. In this review, we describe the structure of p62 and the mechanism of connection between p62 and ubiquitin-proteasome system/autophagy, so as to provide some perspectives on p62 research.