Ganglioside Induced Differentiation Associated Protein 1 Like Protein 1 (GDAP1L1)

GDAP1-like 1 (GDAP1L1) is a closely related paralog of the mitochondrial fission factor GDAP1 and belongs to the same novel GDAP1 class of GST enzymes. This study further aims at determining the potential of GDAP1L1 to compensate for dysfunctional GDAP1 proteins in the CNS. I show that unlike GDAP1, GDAP1L1 is expressed in the CNS but not in the PNS. Although I confirmed the potential of the putative TA domain of GDAP1L1 to integrate into the MOM, under normal cellular conditions GDAP1L1 is not localized to mitochondria. However, I could show that GDAP1L1 is translocated to mitochondria upon treatment with the stressor menadione. The exact functional mechanisms, the cellular relevance and its implications on neuronal cells and GDAP1 function needs further investigation.