Publications

• Characterisation of recombinant human fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase: implications for Sjoegren-Larsson syndrome.

  Lloyd M.D., Boardman K.D., Smith A., van den Brink D.M., Wanders R.J., Threadgill M.D.

  Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) is an NAD+-dependent oxidoreductase involved in the metabolism of fatty alcohols. Enzyme activity has been implicated in the pathology of diabetes and cancer. Mutations in the human gene inactivate the enzyme and cause accumulation of fatty alcohols in Sjögren- ... >> More

  Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) is an NAD+-dependent oxidoreductase involved in the metabolism of fatty alcohols. Enzyme activity has been implicated in the pathology of diabetes and cancer. Mutations in the human gene inactivate the enzyme and cause accumulation of fatty alcohols in Sjögren-Larsson syndrome, a neurological disorder resulting in physical and mental handicaps. Microsomal FALDH was expressed in E. coli and purified. Using an in vitro activity assay an optimum pH of approximately 9.5 and temperature of approximately 35 degrees C were determined. Medium- and long-chain fatty aldehydes were converted to the corresponding acids and kinetic parameters determined. The enzyme showed high activity with heptanal, tetradecanal, hexadecanal and octadecanal with lower activities for the other tested substrates. The enzyme was also able to convert some fatty alcohol substrates to their corresponding aldehydes and acids, at 25-30% the rate of aldehyde oxidation. A structural model of FALDH has been constructed, and catalytically important residues have been proposed to be involved in alcohol and aldehyde oxidation: Gln-120, Glu-207, Cys-241, Phe-333, Tyr-410 and His-411. These results place FALDH in a central role in the fatty alcohol/acid interconversion cycle, and provide a direct link between enzyme inactivation and disease pathology caused by accumulation of alcohols. << Less

  J. Enzym. Inhib. Med. Chem. 22:584-590(2007) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 7 other entries.

• A gatekeeper helix determines the substrate specificity of Sjogren-Larsson Syndrome enzyme fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase.

  Keller M.A., Zander U., Fuchs J.E., Kreutz C., Watschinger K., Mueller T., Golderer G., Liedl K.R., Ralser M., Krautler B., Werner E.R., Marquez J.A.

  Mutations in the gene coding for membrane-bound fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) lead to toxic accumulation of lipid species and development of the Sjögren-Larsson Syndrome (SLS), a rare disorder characterized by skin defects and mental retardation. Here, we present the crystallographic struct ... >> More

  Mutations in the gene coding for membrane-bound fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) lead to toxic accumulation of lipid species and development of the Sjögren-Larsson Syndrome (SLS), a rare disorder characterized by skin defects and mental retardation. Here, we present the crystallographic structure of human FALDH, the first model of a membrane-associated aldehyde dehydrogenase. The dimeric FALDH displays a previously unrecognized element in its C-terminal region, a 'gatekeeper' helix, which extends over the adjacent subunit, controlling the access to the substrate cavity and helping orientate both substrate cavities towards the membrane surface for efficient substrate transit between membranes and catalytic site. Activity assays demonstrate that the gatekeeper helix is important for directing the substrate specificity of FALDH towards long-chain fatty aldehydes. The gatekeeper feature is conserved across membrane-associated aldehyde dehydrogenases. Finally, we provide insight into the previously elusive molecular basis of SLS-causing mutations. << Less

  Nat. Commun. 5:4439-4439(2014) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 3 other entries.

• Mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH3B2 is localized to lipid droplets via two C-terminal tryptophan residues and lipid modification.

  Kitamura T., Takagi S., Naganuma T., Kihara A.

  Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) catalyse the conversion of toxic aldehydes into non-toxic carboxylic acids. Of the 21 ALDHs in mice, it is the ALDH3 family members (ALDH3A1, ALDH3A2, ALDH3B1, ALDH3B2 and ALDH3B3) that are responsible for the removal of lipid-derived aldehydes. However, ALDH3B2 and ... >> More

  Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) catalyse the conversion of toxic aldehydes into non-toxic carboxylic acids. Of the 21 ALDHs in mice, it is the ALDH3 family members (ALDH3A1, ALDH3A2, ALDH3B1, ALDH3B2 and ALDH3B3) that are responsible for the removal of lipid-derived aldehydes. However, ALDH3B2 and ALDH3B3 have yet to be characterized. In the present study, we examined the enzyme activity, tissue distribution and subcellular localization of ALDH3B2 and ALDH3B3. Both were found to exhibit broad substrate preferences from medium-to long-chain aldehydes, resembling ALDH3A2 and ALDH3B1. Although ALDH3B2 and ALDH3B3 share extremely high sequence similarity, their localizations differ, with ALDH3B2 found in lipid droplets and ALDH3B3 localized to the plasma membrane. Both were modified by prenylation at their C-termini; this modification greatly influenced their membrane localization and enzymatic activity towards hexadecanal. We found that their C-terminal regions, particularly the two tryptophan residues (Trp462 and Trp469) of ALDH3B2 and the two arginine residues (Arg462 and Arg463) of ALDH3B3, were important for the determination of their specific localization. Abnormal quantity and perhaps quality of lipid droplets are implicated in several metabolic diseases. We speculate that ALDH3B2 acts to remove lipid-derived aldehydes in lipid droplets generated via oxidative stress as a quality control mechanism. << Less

  Biochem. J. 465:79-87(2015) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 5 other entries.

• The Sjogren-Larsson syndrome gene encodes a hexadecenal dehydrogenase of the sphingosine 1-phosphate degradation pathway.

  Nakahara K., Ohkuni A., Kitamura T., Abe K., Naganuma T., Ohno Y., Zoeller R.A., Kihara A.

  Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) functions not only as a bioactive lipid molecule, but also as an important intermediate of the sole sphingolipid-to-glycerolipid metabolic pathway. However, the precise reactions and the enzymes involved in this pathway remain unresolved. We report here that yeast HFD ... >> More

  Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) functions not only as a bioactive lipid molecule, but also as an important intermediate of the sole sphingolipid-to-glycerolipid metabolic pathway. However, the precise reactions and the enzymes involved in this pathway remain unresolved. We report here that yeast HFD1 and the Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS)-causative mammalian gene ALDH3A2 are responsible for conversion of the S1P degradation product hexadecenal to hexadecenoic acid. The absence of ALDH3A2 in CHO-K1 mutant cells caused abnormal metabolism of S1P/hexadecenal to ether-linked glycerolipids. Moreover, we demonstrate that yeast Faa1 and Faa4 and mammalian ACSL family members are acyl-CoA synthetases involved in the sphingolipid-to-glycerolipid metabolic pathway and that hexadecenoic acid accumulates in Δfaa1 Δfaa4 mutant cells. These results unveil the entire S1P metabolic pathway: S1P is metabolized to glycerolipids via hexadecenal, hexadecenoic acid, hexadecenoyl-CoA, and palmitoyl-CoA. From our results we propose a possibility that accumulation of the S1P metabolite hexadecenal contributes to the pathogenesis of SLS. << Less

  Mol. Cell 46:461-471(2012) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 6 other entries.