UCHL1 is a deubiquitinating enzyme found in neurons and neuroendocrine cells. UCHL1 functions to promote neuronal differentiation and regulates autophagy. UCHL1 is also considered an oncogene; mice engineered to overexpress UCHL1 demonstrate a propensity for lymphogenesis and malignancy, and abnormal expression of UCHL1 is seen in some lung and endometrial cancers. It has also been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In immunohistochemistry of normal tissue, UCHL1 is positive in neurons in the central nervous system. It is also present in a number of other tissues and cell types including distal renal tubules, islets of Langerhans, spermatogonia in testis, Leydig cells, oocytes and melanocytes. References: Chemistry & Biology. 10 (9): 837–46. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2003.08.010. PMID: 14522054; Leukemia. 2010 Sep;24(9):1641-55, PMID: 20574456; J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Oct 25;37(1):258, PMID: 30359286; Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2018 May;28(4):675-683, PMID: 29489474