The protein encoded by this gene catalyzes cis-prenyl chain elongation to produce the polyprenyl backbone of dolichol, a glycosyl carrier lipid required for the biosynthesis of several classes of glycoproteins. Mutations in this gene are associated with retinitis pigmentosa type 59. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2011].
Zelinger, Banin, Obolensky, Mizrahi-Meissonnier, Beryozkin, Bandah-Rozenfeld, Frenkel, Ben-Yosef, Merin, Schwartz, Cideciyan, Jacobson, Sharon: "A missense mutation in DHDDS, encoding dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase, is associated with autosomal-recessive retinitis pigmentosa in Ashkenazi Jews." in: American journal of human genetics, Vol. 88, Issue 2, pp. 207-15, (2011) (PubMed).
DeBruine, Jones, Perrett: "Women's attractiveness judgments of self-resembling faces change across the menstrual cycle." in: Hormones and behavior, Vol. 47, Issue 4, pp. 379-83, (2005) (PubMed).