DDIT4L inhibits cell growth by regulating the TOR signalling pathway. According to its UniProt annotation, it acts upstream of the TSC1-TSC2 complex and downstream of AKT1, placing it at a point in the pathway that links AKT1 signalling to the control of TOR activity through the TSC1-TSC2 complex. The NCBI Gene summary, based on predictions from the Alliance of Genome Resources, similarly describes the gene as involved in negative regulation of signal transduction.

The human DDIT4L gene encodes DNA damage-inducible transcript 4-like protein, which is located in the cytoplasm. It belongs to the DDIT4 family, which also includes DDIT4, another target for which Assay Genie provides research reagents. Orthologous genes, both named Ddit4l, are found in the mouse and the rat, so the protein can be studied in common rodent models. Researchers working on DDIT4L protein or the DDIT4L gene often study it alongside other family members to compare how each one influences TOR-dependent growth control.

The symbol DDIT4L reflects the name DNA damage inducible transcript 4 like, and the protein is also referred to as REDD2 and Rtp801L. These aliases appear in older literature, so searching under all of them helps when reviewing earlier work. As a negative regulator of cell growth acting within the AKT1 to TOR axis, DDIT4L is relevant to studies of growth signalling and its regulation.