The dismutation of acetaldehyde to ethyl alcohol and acetic acid has been shown to occur in animal tissues (1, 2). The dependence of this reaction on diphosphopyridine nucleotide was demonstrated by von Euler and Brunius (3). Partial purification of the responsible enzyme system was achieved by Dixon and Lutwak-Mann (4). These authors clearly demonstrated that the mutase activity was independen...

The amino acid beta-alanine is an intermediate in pantothenic acid (vitamin B(5)) and coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis. In contrast to bacteria, yeast derive the beta-alanine required for pantothenic acid production via polyamine metabolism, mediated by the four SPE genes and by the FAD-dependent amine oxidase encoded by FMS1. Because amine oxidases generally produce aldehyde derivatives of amine ...

In neurodegenerative diseases augmented polyamine metabolism results in the generation of hydrogen peroxide and a number of reactive aldehydes that participate in the death of compromised tissue. The major aldehydes produced by polyamine oxidase and amine oxidases include the 2-alkenal acrolein, the acetoamidoaldehyde 3-acetamidopropanal (3-AAP) and the aminoaldehydes 3-aminopropanal (3-AP) and...

Abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient mutants in a variety of species have been identified by screening for precocious germination and a wilty phenotype. Mutants at two new loci, aba2 and aba3, have recently been isolated in Arabidopsis fhaliana (L.) Heynh. (K.M. LCon-Kloosterziel, M. Alvarez-Gil, G.J. Ruijs, S.E. Jacobsen, N.E. Olszewski, S.H. Schwartz, J.A.D. Zeevaart, M. Koornneef [1996] Plant J 10:...

Antennae of the tobacco hornworm moths Manduca sexta contain an aldehyde oxidase (AOX) that oxidizes aldehydes to carboxylic acids. The enzyme, which is distinguishable from aldehyde-oxidizing activities in other tissues, is secreted into the receptor lymph that bathes the primary olfactory dendrites. First detectable about 3 d before eclosion, AOX levels increase through the first day after ec...

Biosynthesis of C(30) carotenoids is relatively restricted in nature but has been described in Staphylococcus and in methylotrophic bacteria. We report here identification of a novel gene (crtNb) involved in conversion of 4,4'-diapolycopene to 4,4'-diapolycopene aldehyde. An aldehyde dehydrogenase gene (ald) responsible for the subsequent oxidation of 4,4'-diapolycopene aldehyde to 4,4'-diapoly...