title: Subcellular distribution of human brain aldehyde dehydrogenase.
abstract: Two human brain surgery biopsies and one autopsy sample were subjected to subcellular fractionation. With either 0.12 or 6 mM-acetaldehyde as substrate, about half of the total aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was found in the mitochondrial (+ synaptosomal) fraction and less activity in the cytosolic, nuclear, and microsomal fractions. High-affinity activity was found only in the mitochondrial fraction. The enzyme in all fractions had a higher affinity for indole-3-acetaldehyde than for acetaldehyde. The kinetic data indicate the presence of several distinct aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes that have ample capacity to oxidize both aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes in human brain.
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase