Several Sphingomonas spp. utilize polyethylene glycols (PEGs) as a sole carbon and energy source, oxidative PEG degradation being initiated by a dye-linked dehydrogenase (PEG-DH) that oxidizes the terminal alcohol groups of the polymer chain. Purification and characterization of PEG-DH from Sphingomonas terrae revealed that the enzyme is membrane bound. The gene encoding this enzyme (pegA) was ...

A new NAD -isomer was prepared, in which the D-ribose of the adenosine moiety was substituted by the enantiomeric L-ribose. As compared to nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide (NAD) and NADH the coenzyme isomer (D,L)-NAD and its dihydroform (D,L)-NADH are far less tightly bound to lactate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase from horse liver. In the presence of the second substrate (D,L)-NAD an...

A comparison of the structure of class II human liver alcohol dehydrogenase (alcohol:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1) (containing pi subunits) with those of the human class I isozymes (containing alpha, beta, and gamma subunits) reveals differences at about 40% of all positions. Variations are large for active-site regions, the segment around the second zinc atom, and for segments involved in s...

A hepatic microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system is described both in men and rats. It is distinguished from alcohol dehydrogenase by its subcellular localization (cytosol for alcohol dehydrogenase, microsomes for this system), its pH optimum (physiological pH versus pH 10 to 11 for alcohol dehydrogenase), and its cofactor requirements (NADPH versus NAD+ for alcohol dehydrogenase). It also require...

Why only a subpopulation (about 15%) of humans develops liver cirrhosis due to alcohol is a critical as yet unanswered question. Liver-specific depletion of augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) protein in mice causes robust steatosis and hepatocyte apoptosis by 2 weeks; these pathologies regress subsequently with return of ALR expression even at lower than control levels, but the mice develop ...

During a study of cyclic alcohol oxidation by a partially purified rat liver enzyme system (l), it was noted that ethanol was also oxidized by this preparation. Since the ratio of the rate of ethanol oxidation to the rate of cyclohexanol oxidation remained constant during purification, the possibility arose that the activity with cyclic substrates was due to the conventional alcohol dehydrogena...

Alcohol use produces both desirable and undesirable effects, ranging from short-term euphoria and reduction in cardiovascular risk, to violence, accidents, dependence and liver disease. Outcomes are affected by the amount of alcohol used (which is itself affected by genetic variation) and also by the drinker's genes. Genetic effects have been most clearly demonstrated for alcohol dependence, an...

Previous studies with the aid of deuterium as a tracer have shown that alcohol dehydrogenase (1)) lactic dehydrogenase (2)) malic dehydrogenase (3)) and a /?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (4) all catalyze the direct transfer of hydrogen between their respective substrates and the para position of the nicotinamide ring of DPN.’ This hydrogen transfer was also shown to be stereospecific for the DP...