CLASS-2 ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE - CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HAMSTER ENZYME, SENSITIVE TO DAIDZIN AND CONSERVED WITHIN THE FAMILY OF MULTIPLE FORMS

Mitochondrial (class 2) hamster aldehyde dehydrogenase has been purifi ed and characterized, Its primary structure has been determined and co rrelated with the tertiary structure recently established for this cla ss from another species, The protein is found to represent a constant class within a complex family of multiple forms, Variable segments tha t occur in different species correlate with non-functional segments, i n the same manner as in the case of the constant class of alcohol dehy drogenases (class III type) of another protein family, but distinct fr om the pattern of the corresponding variable enzymes, Hence, in both t hese protein families, overall variability and segment architectures b ehave similarly, with at least one 'constant' form in each case, class III in the case of alcohol dehydrogenases, and at least class 2 in th e case of aldehyde dehydrogenases. (C) 1997 Federation of European Bio chemical Societies.