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Protein / target

Presenilin-1

Encoded byPSEN1P49768Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
2
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Advanced Clinical
10
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Aspartic endopeptidase activity, intramembrane cleaving

Strongest disease association

Frontotemporal Dementia

Via encoding gene PSEN1 · Genetic evidence · score 0.91

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Small molecules

Research activity

Emerging research

10 papers · latest 2025

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Catalytic subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyzes the intramembrane cleavage of integral membrane proteins such as Notch receptors and APP (amyloid-beta precursor protein).

View complete UniProt function annotation

Catalytic subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyzes the intramembrane cleavage of integral membrane proteins such as Notch receptors and APP (amyloid-beta precursor protein) (PubMed:10206644, PubMed:10545183, PubMed:10593990, PubMed:10811883, PubMed:10899933, PubMed:12679784, PubMed:12740439, PubMed:15274632, PubMed:20460383, PubMed:25043039, PubMed:26280335, PubMed:28269784, PubMed:30598546, PubMed:30630874). Requires the presence of the other members of the gamma-secretase complex for protease activity (PubMed:15274632, PubMed:25043039, PubMed:26280335, PubMed:30598546, PubMed:30630874). Plays a role in Notch and Wnt signaling cascades and regulation of downstream processes via its role in processing key regulatory proteins, and by regulating cytosolic CTNNB1 levels (PubMed:10593990, PubMed:10811883, PubMed:10899933, PubMed:9738936). Stimulates cell-cell adhesion via its interaction with CDH1; this stabilizes the complexes between CDH1 (E-cadherin) and its interaction partners CTNNB1 (beta-catenin), CTNND1 and JUP (gamma-catenin) (PubMed:11953314). Under conditions of apoptosis or calcium influx, cleaves CDH1 (PubMed:11953314). This promotes the disassembly of the complexes between CDH1 and CTNND1, JUP and CTNNB1, increases the pool of cytoplasmic CTNNB1, and thereby negatively regulates Wnt signaling (PubMed:11953314, PubMed:9738936). Required for normal embryonic brain and skeleton development, and for normal angiogenesis (By similarity). Mediates the proteolytic cleavage of EphB2/CTF1 into EphB2/CTF2 (PubMed:17428795, PubMed:28269784). The holoprotein functions as a calcium-leak channel that allows the passive movement of calcium from endoplasmic reticulum to cytosol and is therefore involved in calcium homeostasis (PubMed:16959576, PubMed:25394380). Involved in the regulation of neurite outgrowth (PubMed:15004326, PubMed:20460383). Is a regulator of presynaptic facilitation, spike transmission and synaptic vesicles replenishment in a process that depends on gamma-secretase activity. It acts through the control of SYT7 presynaptic expression (By similarity)

Subcellular location

Endoplasmic reticulumEndoplasmic reticulum membraneGolgi apparatus membraneCytoplasmic granuleCell membraneCell projection, growth coneEarly endosomeEarly endosome membraneCell projection, neuron projectionCell projection, axonSynapse
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (88)

Gene Ontology

  • Caggresome
  • Cazurophil granule membrane
  • Ccell cortex
  • Ccell surface
  • Ccentrosome
  • Cciliary rootlet
  • Cdendrite
  • Cdendritic shaft
  • Cearly endosome membrane
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum membrane
  • Cgamma-secretase complex

467 aa · 53 kDa · 7 isoforms

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Synaptic signallingUniProt · GOProteolysisUniProt · GOCell adhesionUniProt · GOTranscriptional regulationGOApoptosis & cell deathGO
View supporting evidence

Synaptic signalling

  • ·Catalytic subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyzes…
  • ·Synapse
  • ·glutamatergic synapse
  • ·postsynapse

Proteolysis

  • ·Catalytic subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyzes…
  • ·aspartic endopeptidase activity, intramembrane cleaving
  • ·aspartic-type endopeptidase activity
  • ·endopeptidase activity

Cell adhesion

  • ·Catalytic subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyzes…
  • ·cell-cell adhesion

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·negative regulation of gene expression
  • ·negative regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II
  • ·positive regulation of DNA-templated transcription
  • ·positive regulation of gene expression

Apoptosis & cell death

  • ·apoptotic process
  • ·negative regulation of apoptotic process
  • ·negative regulation of neuron apoptotic process

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene PSEN1

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene PSEN1that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Frontotemporal Dementia
0.94Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.70

Alzheimer's Disease
0.92Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.61

Pick Disease of the Brain
0.84Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.71

Hidradenitis Suppurativa
0.68Moderately supported

Genetic literature evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.52

Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathy
0.67Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.51

View evidence synthesis (5)
Frontotemporal DementiaWell supported
0.94
agreement 0.821.00
Genetic77%Animal model18%Literature5%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.70 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Alzheimer's DiseaseWell supported
0.92
agreement 0.821.00
Genetic57%Clinical32%Literature10%RNA expression1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.61 · 4 independent evidence families

Pick Disease of the BrainWell supported
0.84
agreement 0.720.96
Genetic79%Animal model20%Literature2%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.71 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Hidradenitis SuppurativaModerately supported
0.68
agreement 0.530.83
Genetic literature98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.52 · 2 independent evidence families

Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathyModerately supported
0.67
agreement 0.550.80
Genetic79%Animal model21%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.51 · 2 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Pick Disease of the Brain0.71
Frontotemporal Dementia0.70
Alzheimer's Disease0.61
Hidradenitis Suppurativa0.52
Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathy0.51

Drug development

7 compounds recorded · 2 approved · 5 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines.

View all recorded compounds (7)
SEMAGACESTATPhase 3
AVAGACESTATPhase 2
TARENFLURBILPhase 3
RG-4733Phase 2
NIROGACESTATApproval
NIROGACESTAT HYDROBROMIDEApproval
BEGACESTATPhase 1

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

Small moleculesStrong

Advanced Clinical and Structure with Ligand support this modality.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot loc high conf and go cc high conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and half-life data) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (11)
SM · Advanced ClinicalSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Med-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

10 papers · to 2025

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Recent

Gene replacement-Alzheimer's disease (GR-AD): Modeling the genetics of human dementias in mice.

Benzow K · Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024

Early-life stress and amyloidosis in mice share pathogenic pathways involving synaptic mitochondria and lipid metabolism.

Kotah JM · Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024

Neuronal A2A receptor exacerbates synapse loss and memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice.

Gomez-Murcia V · Brain : a journal of neurology · 2024

The diabetes drug liraglutide prevents degenerative processes in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

McClean PL · The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2011

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.