The polyubiquitin gene
ubiquitin C
(
UBC
) is considered a stress protective gene and is upregulated under various stressful conditions, which is probably a consequence of an increased demand for ubiquitin in order to remove toxic misfolded proteins. We previously identified heat shock elements (
HSE
s) within the
UBC
promoter, which are responsible for heat shock factor (
HSF
)1‐driven induction of the
UBC
gene and are activated by proteotoxic stress. Here, we determined the molecular players driving the
UBC
gene transcriptional response to arsenite treatment, mainly addressing the role of the nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)‐mediated antioxidant pathway. Exposure of HeLa cells to arsenite caused a time‐dependent increase of
UBC
mRNA
, while cell viability and proteasome activity were not affected. Nuclear accumulation of
HSF
1 and Nrf2 transcription factors was detected upon both arsenite and
MG
132 treatment, while
HSF
2 nuclear levels increased in
MG
132‐treated cells. Notably, si
RNA
‐mediated knockdown of Nrf2 did not reduce
UBC
transcription under either basal or stressful conditions, but significantly impaired the constitutive and inducible expression of well‐known antioxidant response element‐dependent genes. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay consistently failed to detect Nrf2 binding to the
UBC
promoter sequence. By contrast, depletion of
HSF
1, but not
HSF
2, significantly compromised stress‐induced
UBC
expression. Critically,
HSF
1‐mediated
UBC
trans
‐activation upon arsenite exposure relies on transcription factor binding to previously mapped distal
HSE
s, as demonstrated to occur under proteasome inhibition. These data highlight
HSF
1 as the pivotal transcription factor that translates different stress signals into
UBC
gene transcriptional induction.