title: The maize ALDH protein superfamily: linking structural features to functional specificities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The completion of maize genome sequencing has resulted in the identification of a large number of uncharacterized genes. Gene annotation and functional characterization of gene products are important to uncover novel protein functionality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this paper, we identify, and annotate members of all the maize aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily according to the revised nomenclature criteria developed by ALDH Gene Nomenclature Committee (AGNC). The maize genome contains 24 unique ALDH sequences encoding members of ten ALDH protein families including the previously identified male fertility restoration RF2A gene, which encodes a member of mitochondrial class 2 ALDHs. Using computational modeling analysis we report here the identification, the physico-chemical properties, and the amino acid residue analysis of a novel tunnel like cavity exclusively found in the maize sterility restorer protein, RF2A/ALDH2B2 by which this protein is suggested to bind variably long chain molecular ligands and/or potentially harmful molecules.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our finding indicates that maize ALDH superfamily is the most expanded of plant ALDHs ever characterized, and the mitochondrial maize RF2A/ALDH2B2 is the only plant ALDH that harbors a newly defined pocket/cavity with suggested functional specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Lopez
authors.forename: Emma W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Gachomo
authors.forename: Manfredo J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Seufferheld
authors.forename: Simeon O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kotchoni
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D055672:Static Electricity; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase