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The alcohol dehydrogenase system

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Toward a Molecular Basis of Alcohol Use and Abuse

Part of the book series: Experientia ((EXS,volume 71))

Summary

Alcohol dehydrogenases constitute a complex system of enzymes, classes, isozymes, and allelic variants. The zinc containing, well-known liver enzyme is a class I medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase. Other classes of this family include the class II protein, the glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase (the class III enzyme), the stomach-expressed class IV form, and the recently defined class V protein. Characterized forms suggest that the glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase is the original ancestor, defining a role for the whole protein family in cellular defense mechanisms. The isozyme-multiple class I protein is derived from an early gene duplication, allowing sub-specialization in vertebrates. Class IV is the one most ethanol-active and appears to be derived from the class I line. Allelic variants within class I, in association with aldehyde dehydrogenase variants, correlate with population differences in ethanol metabolism and hence with susceptibility to develop alcohol-related diseases. The structures also correlate with functional properties and define molecular building units for the whole family.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    Hans Jörnvall

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  1. Hans Jörnvall
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86, Huddinge, Sweden

    B. Jansson

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    H. Jörnvall

  3. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    U. Rydberg  & L. Terenius  & 

  4. Center for Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences and Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Seeley G. Mudd Building, 250 Longwood Avenue, 02115, Boston, MA, USA

    B. L. Vallee

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© 1994 Birkhäuser Verlag Basel/Switzerland

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Jörnvall, H. (1994). The alcohol dehydrogenase system. In: Jansson, B., Jörnvall, H., Rydberg, U., Terenius, L., Vallee, B.L. (eds) Toward a Molecular Basis of Alcohol Use and Abuse. Experientia, vol 71. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7330-7_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7330-7_22

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-7332-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7330-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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