title: The gamma-secretase complex: machinery for intramembrane proteolysis.
abstract: Gamma-secretase is a membrane protease complex that possesses presenilin as a catalytic subunit. Presenilin generates amyloid beta peptides in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and is indispensable to Notch signaling in tissue development and renewal. Recent studies have revealed how presenilin is assembled with its cofactor proteins and acquires the gamma-secretase activity: Aph-1 and nicastrin initially form a subcomplex to bind and stabilize presenilin, and then Pen-2 confers the gamma-secretase activity and facilitates endoproteolysis of presenilin. Understanding the mechanism of gamma-secretase cleavage will help to clarify how intercellular cell signaling through transmembrane proteins is regulated by intramembrane proteolysis, and will hopefully eventually lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyoku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan. iwatsubo@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwatsubo
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D053764:Presenilin-1
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; C469349:PSENEN protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1; C413604:nicastrin protein; C475154:APH1A protein, human; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human