Substrate specificity of gamma-secretase and other intramembrane proteases

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2008 May;65(9):1311-34. doi: 10.1007/s00018-008-7462-2.

Abstract

Gamma-Secretase is a promiscuous protease that cleaves bitopic membrane proteins within the lipid bilayer. Elucidating both the mechanistic basis of gamma-secretase proteolysis and the precise factors regulating substrate identification is important because modulation of this biochemical degradative process can have important consequences in a physiological and pathophysiological context. Here, we briefly review such information for all major classes of intramembranously cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs), with an emphasis on gamma-secretase, an I-CLiP closely linked to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. A large body of emerging data allows us to survey the substrates of gamma-secretase to ascertain the conformational features that predispose a peptide to cleavage by this enigmatic protease. Because substrate specificity in vivo is closely linked to the relative subcellular compartmentalization of gamma-secretase and its substrates, we also survey the voluminous body of literature concerning the traffic of gamma-secretase and its most prominent substrate, the amyloid precursor protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / analysis
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / chemistry
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism*
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / chemistry
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / enzymology*
  • Membrane Microdomains / enzymology
  • Metalloproteases / chemistry
  • Metalloproteases / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / chemistry
  • Serine Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Metalloproteases
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases