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GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
β“˜GeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
RPE65
retinoid isomerohydrolase RPE65
Chromosome 1 Β· 1p31.3
NCBI Gene: 6121Ensembl: ENSG00000116745.8HGNC: HGNC:10294UniProt: Q16518
135PubMed Papers
23Diseases
3Drugs
328Pathogenic Variants
RESEARCH IMPACT
Variant-Rich
CLINICAL
FDA Approved TargetOMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
zeaxanthin biosynthetic processall-trans-retinyl-palmitate hydrolase, 11-cis retinol forming activityretinoid metabolic processretina homeostasisretinitis pigmentosaLeber congenital amaurosis 2Leber congenital amaurosisRPE65-related recessive retinopathy
✦AI Summary

RPE65 (retinoid isomerohydrolase) is a critical enzyme in the retinoid visual cycle that catalyzes the cleavage and isomerization of all-trans-retinyl esters to 11-cis-retinol, which is subsequently oxidized to 11-cis-retinal, the essential chr1 for rod and cone photoreceptors 1. RPE65 exists in both soluble and membrane-bound forms, where the membrane form binds all-trans-retinyl esters and the soluble form binds vitamin A, facilitating the complete visual cycle through interactions with LRAT 2. Additionally, RPE65 catalyzes carotenoid isomerization, converting lutein to meso-zeaxanthin, an eye-specific antioxidant 3. Mutations in RPE65 cause Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) type 2, characterized by early-onset progressive rod-cone dystrophy leading to severe visual impairment or blindness 4. RPE65 mutations also cause retinitis pigmentosa types 20 and 87, accounting for approximately 2-5% of retinitis pigmentosa cases 5. RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophies are now clinically significant due to successful gene replacement therapy. Voretigene neparvovec (AAV2-hRPE65v2) demonstrated both safety and efficacy in phase 3 trials, improving functional vision in previously untreatable RPE65-mediated disease, with 65% of treated patients achieving maximum functional improvement at one year 67.

Sources cited
1
RPE65 catalyzes cleavage and isomerization of all-trans-retinyl esters to 11-cis-retinol in the retinoid visual cycle
PMID: 16116091
2
RPE65 is essential for production of 11-cis retinal for rod and cone photoreceptors
PMID: 17848510
3
RPE65 catalyzes isomerization of lutein to meso-zeaxanthin, an eye-specific carotenoid
PMID: 28874556
4
RPE65 mutations cause Leber congenital amaurosis type 2, a progressive rod-cone dystrophy causing congenital blindness
PMID: 10527670
5
RPE65 mutations account for approximately 2-5% of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa cases
PMID: 30578498
6
Voretigene neparvovec gene replacement therapy improved functional vision in RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy with 65% of intervention participants achieving maximum improvement at one year
PMID: 28712537
7
RPE65 gene augmentation therapy using AAV vectors has demonstrated safety and efficacy in clinical trials for Leber congenital amaurosis
PMID: 25635059
Disease Associationsβ“˜23
retinitis pigmentosaOpen Targets
0.84Strong
Leber congenital amaurosis 2Open Targets
0.83Strong
Leber congenital amaurosisOpen Targets
0.76Strong
RPE65-related recessive retinopathyOpen Targets
0.68Moderate
Retinal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.67Moderate
retinitis pigmentosa 87 with choroidal involvementOpen Targets
0.65Moderate
autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosaOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
genetic disorderOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
Abnormality of the eyeOpen Targets
0.41Moderate
severe early-childhood-onset retinal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.39Weak
Adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiencyOpen Targets
0.39Weak
Leber congenital amaurosis 9Open Targets
0.38Weak
inherited retinal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.38Weak
eye diseaseOpen Targets
0.37Weak
RPE65-related dominant retinopathyOpen Targets
0.37Weak
Pigmentary retinopathyOpen Targets
0.37Weak
open-angle glaucomaOpen Targets
0.36Weak
congenital stationary night blindnessOpen Targets
0.35Weak
retinal degenerationOpen Targets
0.35Weak
Rod-cone dystrophyOpen Targets
0.34Weak
Leber congenital amaurosis 2UniProt
Retinitis pigmentosa 20UniProt
Retinitis pigmentosa 87 with choroidal involvementUniProt
Pathogenic Variants328
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.1088C>A (p.Pro363His)Likely pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 363
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.952T>A (p.Tyr318Asn)Pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Leber congenital amaurosis|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 318
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.137G>A (p.Gly46Glu)Likely pathogenic
RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 46
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.617T>C (p.Ile206Thr)Pathogenic
Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Retinal dystrophy|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Leber congenital amaurosis|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Retinitis pigmentosa 87 with choroidal involvement
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 206
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.366C>A (p.Tyr122Ter)Likely pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 122
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.1291T>C (p.Tyr431His)Pathogenic
Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Retinal dystrophy|not provided|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2026β†’ Residue 431
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.2T>C (p.Met1Thr)Likely pathogenic
not provided|Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Retinal dystrophy|Leber congenital amaurosis|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Retinitis pigmentosa 87 with choroidal involvement|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 1
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.993G>A (p.Trp331Ter)Pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa|Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Retinitis pigmentosa 20|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 331
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.852del (p.Met285fs)Likely pathogenic
RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 285
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.906_907del (p.Asn302fs)Pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 302
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.444_445del (p.Glu148fs)Pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 148
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.989G>A (p.Cys330Tyr)Likely pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy|Leber congenital amaurosis
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 330
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.770T>G (p.Val257Gly)Likely pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 257
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.444G>T (p.Glu148Asp)Likely pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 148
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.571A>G (p.Asn191Asp)Likely pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 191
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.131G>A (p.Arg44Gln)Pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 20|Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Leber congenital amaurosis|Retinitis pigmentosa 20|RPE65-related disorder|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 44
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.1596dup (p.Ser533fs)Likely pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 533
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.440_441del (p.Thr147fs)Pathogenic
Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Leber congenital amaurosis|Retinitis pigmentosa 20;Leber congenital amaurosis 2;Retinitis pigmentosa 87 with choroidal involvement|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 147
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.202C>T (p.His68Tyr)Pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|Leber congenital amaurosis|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 68
NM_000329.3(RPE65):c.311G>T (p.Gly104Val)Likely pathogenic
not provided|Leber congenital amaurosis 2|RPE65-related recessive retinopathy
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†2025β†’ Residue 104
View on ClinVar β†—
Drug Targets3
EMIXUSTATPhase III
Retinoid isomerohydrolase inhibitor
Stargardt disease
EMIXUSTAT HYDROCHLORIDEPhase II
Retinoid isomerohydrolase inhibitor
proliferative diabetic retinopathy
VORETIGENE NEPARVOVECApproved
Retinoid isomerohydrolase exogenous gene
Leber congenital amaurosis
Related Genes
NR2E3Protein interaction97%AIPL1Protein interaction93%DGAT1Protein interaction92%CNGA1Protein interaction92%AWAT2Protein interaction91%OPN4Protein interaction91%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Bone Marrow
2%
Lung
0%
Heart
0%
Ovary
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RPE65NR2E3AIPL1DGAT1CNGA1AWAT2OPN4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted Β· UniProt Q16518
View on AlphaFold β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
1.00LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.80 [0.65–1.00]
RankingsWhere RPE65 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,434of 20,598
    Most Researched135 Β· top quartile
  • #915of 1,025
    FDA-Approved Drug Targets1
  • #182of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants328 Β· top 5%
  • #9,625of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.00
Genes detectedRPE65
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
Efficacy and safety of voretigene neparvovec (AAV2-hRPE65v2) in patients with RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy: a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial.
PMID: 28712537
Lancet Β· 2017
1.00
2
Leber's Congenital Amaurosis: Current Concepts of Genotype-Phenotype Correlations.
PMID: 34440435
Genes (Basel) Β· 2021
0.90
3
Retinal gene therapy.
PMID: 29506236
Br Med Bull Β· 2018
0.80
4
ARPE-19, a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line with differentiated properties.
PMID: 8698076
Exp Eye Res Β· 1996
0.70
5
Hereditary Retinal Dystrophy.
PMID: 28035529
Handb Exp Pharmacol Β· 2017
0.60