Protein / target

RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase

AKT1P31749Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
1
Approved medicines
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Advanced Clinical

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Protein serine/threonine kinase inhibitor activity

Primary system

Nervous system

Strongest disease association

Proteus syndrome

Genetic literature evidence · score 0.84

Therapeutic maturity

Clinically validated target

1 approved medicine against this target

Druggability

Small molecule

Open Targets tractability · Advanced Clinical

Clinical development

1 approved · 14 in clinical development

30 linked trials

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

AKT1 is one of 3 closely related serine/threonine-protein kinases (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3) called the AKT kinase, and which regulate many processes including metabolism, proliferation, cell survival, growth and angiogenesis (PubMed:11882383, PubMed:15526160, PubMed:15861136, PubMed:21432781, PubMed:21620960, PubMed:31204173). This is mediated through serine and/or threonine phosphorylation of a range of downstream substrates (PubMed:11882383, PubMed:15526160, PubMed:21432781, PubMed:21620960, PubMed:29343641, PubMed:31204173). Over 100 substrate candidates have been reported so far, but for most of them, no isoform specificity has been reported (PubMed:11882383, PubMed:15526160, PubMed:21432781, PubMed:21620960). AKT is responsible of the regulation of glucose uptake by mediating insulin-induced translocation of the SLC2A4/GLUT4 glucose transporter to the cell surface (By similarity). Phosphorylation of PTPN1 at 'Ser-50' negatively modulates its phosphatase activity preventing dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor and the attenuation of insulin signaling (By similarity). Phosphorylation of TBC1D4 triggers the binding of this effector to inhibitory 14-3-3 proteins, which is required for insulin-stimulated glucose transport (PubMed:11994271). AKT also regulates the storage of glucose in the form of glycogen by phosphorylating GSK3A at 'Ser-21' and GSK3B at 'Ser-9', resulting in inhibition of its kinase activity (By similarity). Phosphorylation of GSK3 isoforms by AKT is also thought to be one mechanism by which cell proliferation is driven (By similarity). AKT also regulates cell survival via the phosphorylation of MAP3K5 (apoptosis signal-related kinase) (PubMed:11154276). Phosphorylation of 'Ser-83' decreases MAP3K5 kinase activity stimulated by oxidative stress and thereby prevents apoptosis (PubMed:11154276). AKT mediates insulin-stimulated protein synthesis by phosphorylating TSC2 at 'Ser-939' and 'Thr-1462', thereby activating the mTORC1 signaling pathway, and leading to both phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and in activation of RPS6KB1 (PubMed:12150915, PubMed:12172553). Also regulates the mTORC1 signaling pathway by catalyzing phosphorylation of CASTOR1 and DEPDC5 (PubMed:31548394, PubMed:33594058). AKT plays a role as key modulator of the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway controlling the tempo of the process of newborn neurons integration during adult neurogenesis, including correct neuron positioning, dendritic development and synapse formation (By similarity). Part of a positive feedback loop of mTORC2 signaling by mediating phosphorylation of MAPKAP1/SIN1, promoting mTORC2 activation (By similarity). AKT is involved in the phosphorylation of members of the FOXO factors (Forkhead family of transcription factors), leading to binding of 14-3-3 proteins and cytoplasmic localization (PubMed:10358075). In particular, FOXO1 is phosphorylated at 'Thr-24', 'Ser-256' and 'Ser-319' (PubMed:10358075). FOXO3 and FOXO4 are phosphorylated on equivalent sites (PubMed:10358075). AKT has an important role in the regulation of NF-kappa-B-dependent gene transcription and positively regulates the activity of CREB1 (cyclic AMP (cAMP)-response element binding protein) (PubMed:9829964). The phosphorylation of CREB1 induces the binding of accessory proteins that are necessary for the transcription of pro-survival genes such as BCL2 and MCL1 (PubMed:9829964). AKT phosphorylates 'Ser-454' on ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), thereby potentially regulating ACLY activity and fatty acid synthesis (By similarity). Activates the 3B isoform of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE3B) via phosphorylation of 'Ser-273', resulting in reduced cyclic AMP levels and inhibition of lipolysis (By similarity). Phosphorylates PIKFYVE on 'Ser-318', which results in increased PI(3)P-5 activity (By similarity). The Rho GTPase-activating protein DLC1 is another substrate and its phosphorylation is implicated in the regulation cell proliferation and cell growth (By similarity). Signals downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI(3)K) to mediate the effects of various growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) (PubMed:12176338, PubMed:12964941). AKT mediates the antiapoptotic effects of IGF1 (By similarity). Essential for the SPATA13-mediated regulation of cell migration and adhesion assembly and disassembly (PubMed:19934221). May be involved in the regulation of the placental development (By similarity). Phosphorylates STK4/MST1 at 'Thr-120' and 'Thr-387' leading to inhibition of its: kinase activity, nuclear translocation, autophosphorylation and ability to phosphorylate FOXO3 (PubMed:17726016). Phosphorylates STK3/MST2 at 'Thr-117' and 'Thr-384' leading to inhibition of its: cleavage, kinase activity, autophosphorylation at Thr-180, binding to RASSF1 and nuclear translocation (PubMed:20086174). Phosphorylates SRPK2 and enhances its kinase activity towards SRSF2 and ACIN1 and promotes its nuclear translocation (PubMed:19592491). Phosphorylates RAF1 at 'Ser-259' and negatively regulates its activity (PubMed:10576742). Phosphorylation of BAD stimulates its pro-apoptotic activity (PubMed:10926925). Phosphorylates KAT6A at 'Thr-369' and this phosphorylation inhibits the interaction of KAT6A with PML and negatively regulates its acetylation activity towards p53/TP53 (PubMed:23431171). Phosphorylates palladin (PALLD), modulating cytoskeletal organization and cell motility (PubMed:20471940). Phosphorylates prohibitin (PHB), playing an important role in cell metabolism and proliferation (PubMed:18507042). Phosphorylates CDKN1A, for which phosphorylation at 'Thr-145' induces its release from CDK2 and cytoplasmic relocalization (PubMed:16982699). These recent findings indicate that the AKT1 isoform has a more specific role in cell motility and proliferation (PubMed:16139227). Phosphorylates CLK2 thereby controlling cell survival to ionizing radiation (PubMed:20682768). Phosphorylates PCK1 at 'Ser-90', reducing the binding affinity of PCK1 to oxaloacetate and changing PCK1 into an atypical protein kinase activity using GTP as donor (PubMed:32322062). Also acts as an activator of TMEM175 potassium channel activity in response to growth factors: forms the lysoK(GF) complex together with TMEM175 and acts by promoting TMEM175 channel activation, independently of its protein kinase activity (PubMed:32228865). Acts as a regulator of mitochondrial calcium uptake by mediating phosphorylation of MICU1 in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, impairing MICU1 maturation (PubMed:30504268). Acts as an inhibitor of tRNA methylation by mediating phosphorylation of the N-terminus of METTL1, thereby inhibiting METTL1 methyltransferase activity (PubMed:15861136). In response to LPAR1 receptor pathway activation, phosphorylates Rabin8/RAB3IP which alters its activity and phosphorylates WDR44 which induces WDR44 binding to Rab11, thereby switching Rab11 vesicular function from preciliary trafficking to endocytic recycling (PubMed:31204173)

Subcellular location

CytoplasmNucleusCell membraneMitochondrion intermembrane space
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (143)

Domains & features

PHProtein kinaseAGC-kinase C-terminal

Gene Ontology

  • Ccell cortex
  • Ccell-cell junction
  • Cciliary basal body
  • Ccytoplasm
  • Ccytosol
  • Cglutamatergic synapse
  • Clamellipodium
  • Cmembrane
  • Cmitochondrial intermembrane space
  • Cnucleoplasm
  • Cnucleus
  • Cplasma membrane

480 aa · 56 kDa · 2 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

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

Synaptic signallingUniProt · GOKinase signallingUniProt · GOImmune signallingGO · ReactomeMetabolic enzyme activityUniProt · GOTranscriptional regulationUniProt · GOExcitatory neurotransmissionGO
View supporting evidence

Synaptic signalling

  • ·AKT1 is one of 3 closely related serine/threonine-protein kinases (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3)…
  • ·glutamatergic synapse
  • ·postsynapse
  • ·excitatory postsynaptic potential

Kinase signalling

  • ·AKT1 is one of 3 closely related serine/threonine-protein kinases (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3)…
  • ·kinase activity
  • ·protein kinase activity
  • ·protein kinase binding

Immune signalling

  • ·activation-induced cell death of T cells
  • ·cytokine-mediated signaling pathway
  • ·interleukin-18-mediated signaling pathway
  • ·positive regulation of fat cell differentiation

Metabolic enzyme activity

  • ·AKT1 is one of 3 closely related serine/threonine-protein kinases (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3)…
  • ·glucose metabolic process
  • ·nitric oxide metabolic process
  • ·positive regulation of glucose metabolic process

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·AKT1 is one of 3 closely related serine/threonine-protein kinases (AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3)…
  • ·positive regulation of gene expression
  • ·positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II

Excitatory neurotransmission

  • ·glutamatergic synapse
  • ·excitatory postsynaptic potential
View underlying pathways (25)

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.

MTORPHLPP1CDC42MDM2PDPK1HSP90A…HSP90A…FOXO1ILKFOXO3AKT1

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.

Drugs targeting this protein

2

Whether each drug engages this protein directly or through a complex, and how many other targets are recorded for it. Direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

ipatasertib
Phase 3Inhibitor

Serine/threonine-protein kinase AKT inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, triple-negative breast carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with AKT2, AKT3 · 1 of 3 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

capivasertib
ApprovedInhibitor

Serine/threonine-protein kinase AKT inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving breast cancer, breast neoplasm, neoplasm, triple-negative breast carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with AKT2, AKT3 · 1 of 3 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

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

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically — disease associations, drugs in development, tractability and safety, from Open Targets.

Strongest genetic associations

Human genetic evidence — the most direct causal link between this target and a disease.

Proteus syndrome0.84

Genetic literature · overall 0.76

Cowden syndrome 60.80

Genetic · overall 0.66

breast cancer0.61

Genetic literature · overall 0.65

meningioma0.61

Genetic · overall 0.48

Highest-confidence therapeutic associations

Diseases where a drug acting on this target has already reached clinical development.

neoplasm0.64

Clinical · overall 0.47

cancer0.18

Clinical · overall 0.67

ovarian carcinoma0.14

Clinical · overall 0.59

breast adenocarcinoma0.12

Clinical · overall 0.65

Highest overall evidence

Remaining associations by Open Targets' aggregated evidence score.

breast carcinoma0.63

Literature

colorectal adenocarcinoma0.62

Pathway

Show all associations
Proteus syndrome0.76
cancer0.67
Cowden syndrome 60.66
breast cancer0.65
breast adenocarcinoma0.65
breast carcinoma0.63
colorectal adenocarcinoma0.62
ovarian carcinoma0.59
meningioma0.48
neoplasm0.47

Open Targets ranks 2,830 associations for this target and we store the top 10 by aggregated score. The long tail is largely literature co-mention and RNA-expression evidence, not evidence that this target drives those diseases.

Known drugs · 15 total

XL-418Phase 1

neoplasm

AFURESERTIBPhase 3

breast cancer · childhood leukemia · Langerhans cell histiocytosis

UPROSERTIBPhase 2

colorectal cancer · lymphoma · acute myeloid leukemia

CAPIVASERTIBApproval

breast cancer · breast neoplasm · neoplasm

SR-13668Phase 1
MK-2206Phase 2

rectum adenocarcinoma · neuroendocrine neoplasm · colorectal cancer

LY-2780301Phase 1 2

breast cancer

TAS0612Phase 1
PIFUSERTIBPhase 2

non-small cell lung carcinoma · breast cancer · ovarian cancer

GSK-690693Phase 1

lymphoma · hematopoietic and lymphoid cell neoplasm

Tractability

SM · Advanced ClinicalSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confPR · LiteraturePR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Safety liabilities

heart diseaseapoptototic cell death in cancer cellshyperglycemiaregulation of catalytic activity

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.

Show remaining trials (24)

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · via capivasertib · NCT02465060

RECRUITING · via capivasertib · NCT07294677

WITHDRAWN · via capivasertib · NCT06613516

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

Forefront confidence

Synthesis

Our own weighting of the evidence behind each disease association. Human genetics and clinical evidence count for most; literature co-mention counts for little, because two entities sharing an abstract is not evidence that one drives the other.

breast cancerWell supported
0.86
agreement 0.740.97
Clinical52%Genetic literature37%Literature11%

Open Targets aggregate 0.65 · 3 independent evidence families

Proteus syndromeWell supported
0.84
agreement 0.740.94
Genetic literature53%Somatic mutation31%Clinical10%Literature7%Geneticdup

Open Targets aggregate 0.76 · 4 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

meningiomaWell supported
0.81
agreement 0.720.91
Genetic50%Somatic mutation32%Literature11%Clinical7%

Open Targets aggregate 0.48 · 4 independent evidence families

Cowden syndrome 6Well supported
0.80
agreement 0.670.94
Genetic100%Literature0%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.66 · 2 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

neoplasmModerately supported
0.69
agreement 0.570.81
Clinical52%Somatic mutation32%Literature16%

Open Targets aggregate 0.47 · 3 independent evidence families

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 underlying per-type scores are shown above so the calculation can be checked.

What's happening now

13

Recent activity around this target, drawn from one canonical event stream. Every item is reached through 2 drugs that target this protein, so each event is news about that drug rather than about the protein directly.

  1. Indication expanded2026-06-12

    Indication expansion: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  2. Label change2026-05-27

    Label change: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  3. Label change2025-11-14

    Label change: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  4. Label change2025-02-13

    Label change: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  5. Label change2024-09-23

    Label change: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  6. Regulatory approval2024-06-17

    Approval: Truqap (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via capivasertib

  7. New publication2024-04-02
    Capivasertib: A Novel AKT Inhibitor Approved for Hormone-Receptor-Positive, HER-2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer.

    The Annals of pharmacotherapy · 2024 · 18 citations · Europe PMC · via capivasertib

  8. New publication2024-03-13
    Endocrine and Targeted Therapy for Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer-Capivasertib-Fulvestrant: ASCO Rapid Recommendation Update.

    Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024 · 36 citations · Europe PMC · via capivasertib

  9. New publication2024-02-01
    First-Line Ipatasertib, Atezolizumab, and Taxane Triplet for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Clinical and Biomarker Results.

    Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2024 · 35 citations · Europe PMC · via ipatasertib

  10. Regulatory approval2023-11-16

    Approval: CAPIVASERTIB (NDA218197)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via capivasertib

  11. New publication2023-06-01
    Capivasertib in Hormone Receptor-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer.

    The New England journal of medicine · 2023 · 539 citations · Europe PMC · via capivasertib

  12. New publication2020-09-10
    Circulating tumour DNA analysis to direct therapy in advanced breast cancer (plasmaMATCH): a multicentre, multicohort, phase 2a, platform trial.

    The Lancet. Oncology · 2020 · 274 citations · Europe PMC · via capivasertib

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.