Home > Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase

The oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetate can be summarized as follows:

CH₃CHO + NAD⁺ CoA → + acetyl-CoA + NADH + H⁺

In the liver, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase oxidizes ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is then further converted into the harmless acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetaldehyde is more toxic than alcohol and is responsible for many hangover symptoms. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is known to assist in processing acetaldehyde in the body and therefore can help to relief hangover symptoms.

Some persons from far-Eastern descent have a mutationThis article is about mutation in biology, for other meanings see: mutation (disambiguation). Mutations are permanent, transmissible changes to the genetic material (usually DNA or RNA) of a cell. Mutations can be caused by copying errors in the genetic m in their acetaldehyde dehydrogenase geneDNA and to a chromosome (right). Introns are regions often found in eukaryote genes which are removed in the splicing process: only the exons encode the protein. This diagram labels a region of only 40 or so bases as a gene. In reality many genes are much, making this enzyme less effective. In these people, acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking, leading to severe and immediate hangover symptoms. These people are therefore less likely to become alcoholics. The drug antabuse ( disulfiramDisulfiram is a drug used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to alcohol). Trade names for disulfiram in different countries are Antabuse and Antabus the chemical name of the substance is tetraethylthiuram disu) also prevents the oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetic acid, with the same unpleasant effects for drinkers. It is used in the treatment of certain alcoholics.