The NdhL family is a component of the NDH-1L complex that is one of the proton-pumping NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductases that catalyse the electron transfer from NADH to ubiquinone linked with proton translocation across the membrane. NDH-1L is essential for photoheterotrophic cell growth. NdhL appears to contain two transmembrane helices and it is necessary for the functioning of though not the correct assembly of the NDH-1 complex in Synechocystis 6803. The conservation between cyanobacteria and green plants suggests that chloroplast NDH-1 complexes contain related subunits [1].

1: Identification of NdhL and Ssl1690 (NdhO) in NDH-1L and NDH-1M complexes of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Battchikova N, Zhang P, Rudd S, Ogawa T, Aro EM; J Biol Chem. 2005;280:2587-2595. PMID:15548534