[6][8] One evidence for the existence of DERL1 was provided by Professor Tom A. Rapoport and his research group at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

[8] Another evidence of the DERL1 gene was discovered by Professor Hidde L. Ploegh and his research group who is also at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

[6][8] The human DERL1 gene is located on the long (q) arm of chromosome 8 at region 2 band 4, from base pair 123,013,164 to 123,042,423 (Build GRCh37/hg19) (map).

[24] Derlin-1 channel holds a short, large transmembrane funnel in the center of tetramer with a diameter about 11-13 angstrom, which might serve as a permeation pathway for misfolded protein substrates in ERAD.

Each protomer in human Derlin-1 tetramer shares a high structural similarity with yeast DER1 protein or other rhomboid members.

[25] However, this channel architecture makes human derlin-1 different from other known rhomboid structures and implies its centraal role in mammalian ERAD retrotranslocation.