In mechanistic studies, it was confirmed that in mitochondria, OTUD1 can cleave the K27-type and K63-type poly-Ub chains of AIF on K244, which would lead to mitochondrial structural disruption and impairment of the OXPHOS process and ultimately induce ESCC cell death [22]. This evidence concerns the gene AIFM1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.