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Protein / target

Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1

Encoded byPARP1P09874Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
9
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
View by indication →
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

NAD+-histone H2BE35 glutamate ADP-ribosyltransferase

Strongest disease association

Ovarian Neoplasms

Via encoding gene PARP1 · Clinical evidence · score 0.62

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Small molecules

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

Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase that mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and plays a key role in DNA repair.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase that mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and plays a key role in DNA repair (PubMed:17177976, PubMed:18055453, PubMed:18172500, PubMed:19344625, PubMed:19661379, PubMed:20388712, PubMed:21680843, PubMed:22582261, PubMed:23230272, PubMed:25043379, PubMed:26344098, PubMed:26626479, PubMed:26626480, PubMed:30104678, PubMed:31796734, PubMed:32028527, PubMed:32241924, PubMed:32358582, PubMed:33186521, PubMed:34465625, PubMed:34737271). Mediates glutamate, aspartate, serine, histidine or tyrosine ADP-ribosylation of proteins: the ADP-D-ribosyl group of NAD(+) is transferred to the acceptor carboxyl group of target residues and further ADP-ribosyl groups are transferred to the 2'-position of the terminal adenosine moiety, building up a polymer with an average chain length of 20-30 units (PubMed:19764761, PubMed:25043379, PubMed:28190768, PubMed:29954836, PubMed:35393539, PubMed:7852410, PubMed:9315851). Serine ADP-ribosylation of proteins constitutes the primary form of ADP-ribosylation of proteins in response to DNA damage (PubMed:33186521, PubMed:34874266). Specificity for the different amino acids is conferred by interacting factors, such as HPF1 and NMNAT1 (PubMed:28190768, PubMed:29954836, PubMed:32028527, PubMed:33186521, PubMed:33589610, PubMed:34625544, PubMed:34874266). Following interaction with HPF1, catalyzes serine ADP-ribosylation of target proteins; HPF1 confers serine specificity by completing the PARP1 active site (PubMed:28190768, PubMed:29954836, PubMed:32028527, PubMed:33186521, PubMed:33589610, PubMed:34625544, PubMed:34874266). Also catalyzes tyrosine ADP-ribosylation of target proteins following interaction with HPF1 (PubMed:29954836, PubMed:30257210). Following interaction with NMNAT1, catalyzes glutamate and aspartate ADP-ribosylation of target proteins; NMNAT1 confers glutamate and aspartate specificity (By similarity). PARP1 initiates the repair of DNA breaks: recognizes and binds DNA breaks within chromatin and recruits HPF1, licensing serine ADP-ribosylation of target proteins, such as histones (H2BS6ADPr and H3S10ADPr), thereby promoting decompaction of chromatin and the recruitment of repair factors leading to the reparation of DNA strand breaks (PubMed:17177976, PubMed:18172500, PubMed:19344625, PubMed:19661379, PubMed:23230272, PubMed:27067600, PubMed:34465625, PubMed:34874266). HPF1 initiates serine ADP-ribosylation but restricts the polymerase activity of PARP1 in order to limit the length of poly-ADP-ribose chains (PubMed:33683197, PubMed:34732825, PubMed:34795260). In addition to base excision repair (BER) pathway, also involved in double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair: together with TIMELESS, accumulates at DNA damage sites and promotes homologous recombination repair by mediating poly-ADP-ribosylation (PubMed:26344098, PubMed:30356214). Mediates the poly-ADP-ribosylation of a number of proteins, including itself, APLF, CHFR, RPA1 and NFAT5 (PubMed:17396150, PubMed:19764761, PubMed:24906880, PubMed:34049076). In addition to proteins, also able to ADP-ribosylate DNA: catalyzes ADP-ribosylation of DNA strand break termini containing terminal phosphates and a 2'-OH group in single- and double-stranded DNA, respectively (PubMed:27471034). Required for PARP9 and DTX3L recruitment to DNA damage sites (PubMed:23230272). PARP1-dependent PARP9-DTX3L-mediated ubiquitination promotes the rapid and specific recruitment of 53BP1/TP53BP1, UIMC1/RAP80, and BRCA1 to DNA damage sites (PubMed:23230272). PARP1-mediated DNA repair in neurons plays a role in sleep: senses DNA damage in neurons and promotes sleep, facilitating efficient DNA repair (By similarity). In addition to DNA repair, also involved in other processes, such as transcription regulation, programmed cell death, membrane repair, adipogenesis and innate immunity (PubMed:15607977, PubMed:17177976, PubMed:19344625, PubMed:27256882, PubMed:32315358, PubMed:32844745, PubMed:35124853, PubMed:35393539, PubMed:35460603). Acts as a repressor of transcription: binds to nucleosomes and modulates chromatin structure in a manner similar to histone H1, thereby altering RNA polymerase II (PubMed:15607977, PubMed:22464733). Acts both as a positive and negative regulator of transcription elongation, depending on the context (PubMed:27256882, PubMed:35393539). Acts as a positive regulator of transcription elongation by mediating poly-ADP-ribosylation of NELFE, preventing RNA-binding activity of NELFE and relieving transcription pausing (PubMed:27256882). Acts as a negative regulator of transcription elongation in response to DNA damage by catalyzing poly-ADP-ribosylation of CCNT1, disrupting the phase separation activity of CCNT1 and subsequent activation of CDK9 (PubMed:35393539). Involved in replication fork progression following interaction with CARM1: mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation at replication forks, slowing fork progression (PubMed:33412112). Poly-ADP-ribose chains generated by PARP1 also play a role in poly-ADP-ribose-dependent cell death, a process named parthanatos (By similarity). Also acts as a negative regulator of the cGAS-STING pathway (PubMed:32315358, PubMed:32844745, PubMed:35460603). Acts by mediating poly-ADP-ribosylation of CGAS: PARP1 translocates into the cytosol following phosphorylation by PRKDC and catalyzes poly-ADP-ribosylation and inactivation of CGAS (PubMed:35460603). Acts as a negative regulator of adipogenesis: catalyzes poly-ADP-ribosylation of histone H2B on 'Glu-35' (H2BE35ADPr) following interaction with NMNAT1, inhibiting phosphorylation of H2B at 'Ser-36' (H2BS36ph), thereby blocking expression of pro-adipogenetic genes (By similarity). Involved in the synthesis of ATP in the nucleus, together with NMNAT1, PARG and NUDT5 (PubMed:27257257). Nuclear ATP generation is required for extensive chromatin remodeling events that are energy-consuming (PubMed:27257257). Plays a role in sister chromatid cohesion by mediating ADP-ribosylation of RSMC during S phase which promotes the interaction between RSMC and CDCA5/sororin, leading to enhanced interaction of CDCA5/sororin with the cohesin complex and promotion of sister chromatid cohesion (PubMed:41261216)

Subcellular location

ChromosomeNucleusNucleus, nucleolusCytoplasm, cytosolCytoplasm
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (111)

Domains & features

PADR1 zinc-bindingBRCTWGRPARP alpha-helicalPARP catalytic

Gene Ontology

  • Cchromatin
  • Cchromosome, telomeric region
  • Ccytosol
  • Cfibrillar center
  • Cmembrane
  • Cmitochondrion
  • Cnuclear body
  • Cnuclear envelope
  • Cnuclear replication fork
  • Cnucleolus
  • Cnucleoplasm
  • Cnucleus

1014 aa · 113 kDa

Biological roles

Reactome v97

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

Transcriptional regulationUniProt · GO · ReactomeImmune signallingUniProt · GOApoptosis & cell deathUniProt · GOMetabolic enzyme activityGO
View supporting evidence

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase that mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and plays a…
  • ·transcription regulator complex
  • ·RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding
  • ·transcription regulator activator activity

Immune signalling

  • ·Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase that mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and plays a…
  • ·innate immune response
  • ·negative regulation of innate immune response

Apoptosis & cell death

  • ·Poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase that mediates poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and plays a…
  • ·apoptotic process

Metabolic enzyme activity

  • ·NAD DNA ADP-ribosyltransferase activity
  • ·NAD+ poly-ADP-ribosyltransferase activity
  • ·NAD+-histone H2BE35 glutamate ADP-ribosyltransferase activity
  • ·NAD+-histone H2BS6 serine ADP-ribosyltransferase activity
View underlying pathways (8)

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

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

CASP3XRCC1XRCC6POLBSMARCA4XRCC5CASP7PRKDCPARGCASP9PARP1

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Approved medicines with mapped indications

3 medicines · 5 areas

Approved therapies targeting this protein, grouped by what they are approved to treat — the disease-first view of the medicines below. Relationships come from the canonical approved-indication graph (ChEMBL phase-4), the same source as the drug cards.

Breast Neoplasms1 medicine
Ovarian Neoplasms1 medicine
Pancreatic Neoplasms1 medicine
Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant1 medicine
Neoplasms3 medicines

9 medicines meet Open Targets' target-level approved-medicine definition; the 3 shown here are those on this page with a canonical approved disease indication in the graph. Approved indications from ChEMBL (phase-4), via the canonical drug→disease graph.

Drugs targeting this protein

5

How approved and investigational drugs engage this protein — mechanism and action type, direct vs complex targeting, and how broadly each acts across other targets. A drug-first view (the section above groups the approved ones disease-first); direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

talazoparib
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase-1 inhibitor

Direct interaction with this protein · 1 of 2 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

niraparib
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase-1 inhibitor

Indicated for Neoplasms

Direct interaction with this protein · 1 of 2 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

olaparib
ApprovedInhibitor

PARP 1, 2 and 3 inhibitor

Indicated for Breast Neoplasms, Ovarian Neoplasms, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant

Acts on a complex — shared with PARP3, PARP2 · 1 of 3 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

rucaparib
ApprovedInhibitor

PARP 1, 2 and 3 inhibitor

Indicated for Neoplasms

Acts on a complex — shared with PARP3, PARP2 · 1 of 3 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

veliparib
ApprovedInhibitor

PARP 1, 2 and 3 inhibitor

Acts on a complex — shared with PARP3, PARP2 · 1 of 3 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

ChEMBL mechanism, action type, target identity and approved indications. Open Targets clinical status.

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 PARP1

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene PARP1that 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.

Ovarian Neoplasms
0.77Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.62

Neoplasms
0.73Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.59

Breast Neoplasms
0.72Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.58

Ovarian carcinoma
0.72Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.57

Fallopian Tube Neoplasms
0.69Moderately supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.56

View evidence synthesis (5)
Ovarian NeoplasmsWell supported
0.77
agreement 0.610.92
Clinical84%Literature16%

Open Targets aggregate 0.62 · 2 independent evidence families

NeoplasmsModerately supported
0.73
agreement 0.580.89
Clinical82%Literature18%

Open Targets aggregate 0.59 · 2 independent evidence families

Breast NeoplasmsModerately supported
0.72
agreement 0.570.88
Clinical82%Literature18%

Open Targets aggregate 0.58 · 2 independent evidence families

Ovarian carcinomaModerately supported
0.72
agreement 0.560.87
Clinical82%Literature18%

Open Targets aggregate 0.57 · 2 independent evidence families

Fallopian Tube NeoplasmsModerately supported
0.69
agreement 0.530.84
Clinical99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.56 · 2 independent evidence families

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
Ovarian Neoplasms0.62
Neoplasms0.59
Breast Neoplasms0.58
Ovarian carcinoma0.57
Fallopian Tube Neoplasms0.56
Prostatic Neoplasms0.54
Ovarian neoplasm0.51
Peritoneum cancer0.50

Drug development

13 compounds recorded · 9 approved · 4 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines. Distinct from the 5 drugs that target this protein in Forefront's canonical graph (3 with a mapped approved indication, shown above): these count different sets and are not a subset relation.

View all recorded compounds (10)
TALAZOPARIBApproval
2X-121Phase 2
AMELPARIB DIHYDROCHLORIDE DIHYDRATEPhase 2
VELIPARIBApproval
E-7016Phase 2
NIRAPARIBApproval
SENAPARIBPhase 3
RUCAPARIBApproval
NIRAPARIB TOSYLATE MONOHYDRATEApproval
RUCAPARIB CAMSYLATEApproval

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

Approved Drug and Structure with Ligand support this modality.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (literature and uniprot ubiquitination) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (10)
SM · Approved DrugSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyPR · LiteraturePR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein. Ranked by active status, then clinical phase and recency, and spread across the targeting drugs.

View all trials (26)

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

What's happening now

12

Recent therapeutic activity around this target — regulatory actions, clinical trials and safety signals for 4 drugs that target this protein, plus publications where such a drug is a genuine subject. Every item is reached indirectly through the drug, not the protein itself; incidental mentions (a paper that merely measures a drug) and press items are excluded.

  1. Trial status changed2026-07-21

    A Phase 1, Open-Label, Multicenter Study of INCB123667 as Monotherapy and in Combination With Anticancer Therapies in Participants With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors

    Status changed to Active, not recruiting · ClinicalTrials.gov · via olaparib

  2. Trial results posted2026-07-17

    Phase II Study of Rucaparib and Nivolumab in Patients With Leiomyosarcoma

    Results posted · ClinicalTrials.gov · via rucaparib

  3. Trial status changed2026-07-16

    A Pharmacodynamics-Driven Trial of Talazoparib, an Oral PARP Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors and Aberrations in Genes Involved in DNA Damage Response

    Status changed to Active, not recruiting · ClinicalTrials.gov · via talazoparib

  4. New publication2025-10-07
    Niraparib and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone for HRR-deficient metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

    Nature medicine · 2025 · 19 citations · Europe PMC · via niraparib

  5. New publication2025-01-31
    Results of a phase Ib study of olaparib with concomitant radiotherapy in soft-tissue sarcoma: a French sarcoma group study.

    Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology · 2025 · 4 citations · Europe PMC · via olaparib

  6. New publication2023-12-04
    First-line talazoparib with enzalutamide in HRR-deficient metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the phase 3 TALAPRO-2 trial.

    Nature medicine · 2024 · 105 citations · Europe PMC · via talazoparib

  7. New publication2023-11-14
    Olaparib for the Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer and Alterations in <i>BRCA1</i> and/or <i>BRCA2</i> in the PROfound Trial.

    Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024 · 76 citations · Europe PMC · via olaparib

  8. Safety communication2022-09-26

    Drug Safety Update: Rucaparib (Rubraca▼): withdrawal of third-line treatment indication

    mhra · safety · mhra · via rucaparib

  9. Safety communication2020-10-22

    Drug Safety Update: Niraparib (Zejula▼): reports of severe hypertension and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), particularly in early treatment

    mhra · safety · mhra · via niraparib

  10. Regulatory approval2019-06-20

    Approval: Talzenna (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via talazoparib

  11. Regulatory approval2017-11-16

    Approval: Zejula (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via niraparib

  12. Regulatory approval2014-12-16

    Approval: Lynparza (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via olaparib

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.

Related family literature

4

Papers about “Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases” — a broader family this protein belongs to. Shown as context; not counted as papers specifically about this protein.

NAD<sup>+</sup> homeostasis in renal health and disease.

Ralto KM · Nature reviews. Nephrology · 2020

via Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases

PARP and PARG inhibitors in cancer treatment.

Slade D · Genes & development · 2020

via Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases

Circular RNA <i>TLK1</i> Aggravates Neuronal Injury and Neurological Deficits after Ischemic Stroke via miR-335-3p/TIPARP.

Wu F · The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2019

via Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases

Europe PMC literature, reached through curated HGNC family membership. Membership is a taxonomic relationship — it does not imply this protein participates in every mechanism these papers discuss.