Function
DDP-1 is a mitochondrial intermembrane chaperone that plays a crucial role in the import and insertion of multi-pass transmembrane proteins into the mitochondrial inner membrane. It is also essential for the transfer of beta-barrel precursors from the TOM complex to the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM complex) of the outer membrane. Acting as a chaperone-like protein, DDP-1 safeguards hydrophobic precursors from aggregation and guides them through the mitochondrial intermembrane space. The DDP-1/TIM-8-TIM-13 complex facilitates the import of specific proteins, while the predominant TIM-9/TIN-9.1-TIM-10/TIN-10 70 kDa complex governs the import of a significantly larger number of proteins.