N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (ndrg1) functions as a molecular switch for cellular adaptation to hypoxia.

Lack of oxygen (hypoxia and anoxia) is detrimental to cell function and survival and underlies many disease conditions. Hence, metazoans have evolved mechanisms to adapt to low oxygen. One such mechanism, metabolic suppression, decreases the cellular demand for oxygen by downregulating ATP-demanding processes.