COP9 signalosome complex subunit 1 (CSN1) is an essential component of the COP9 signalosome complex (CSN), an eight-subunit protein complex that is found in all eukaryotes. The CSN complex cleaves the isopeptide bond of ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8 from cullins and is involved in various cellular and developmental processes, such as repression of photomorphogenesis in plants and protein subcellular localization, DNA-damage response, and NF-kappaB activation in mammals. CSN1 carries a C-terminal PCI (for Proteasome, COP9 signalosome, and Initiation factor 3) domain which mediates protein-protein interactions within the complex. Its N-terminal domain is critical for the function of CSN.