DCTN1 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Dynactin subunit 1 is a large subunit of the dynactin complex, which regulates the activity of the molecular motor complex dynein by binding the two complexes together on the microtubules.44 A reduction in both mRNA and protein levels of DCTN-1 has been reported in sporadic ALS patients, and mutations in this gene are associated with disease, indicating that altered expression of DCTN-1 may be involved in the pathophysiological process.16,27,45,46