Target Background
This gene encodes class IV alcohol dehydrogenase 7 mu or sigma subunit, which is a member of the alcohol dehydrogenase family. Members of this family metabolize a wide variety of substrates, including ethanol, retinol, other aliphatic alcohols, hydroxysteroids, and lipid peroxidation products. The enzyme encoded by this gene is inefficient in ethanol oxidation, but is the most active as a retinol dehydrogenase; thus it may participate in the synthesis of retinoic acid, a hormone important for cellular differentiation. The expression of this gene is much more abundant in stomach than liver, thus differing from the other known gene family members. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2009],catalytic activity:An alcohol + NAD(+) = an aldehyde or ketone + NADH.,cofactor:Binds 2 zinc ions per subunit.,cofactor:Zinc.,function:Could function in retinol oxidation for the synthesis of retinoic acid, a hormone important for cellular differentiation. Medium-chain (octanol) and aromatic (m-nitrobenzaldehyde) compounds are the best substrates. Ethanol is not a good substrate but at the high ethanol concentrations reached in the digestive tract, it plays a role in the ethanol oxidation and contributes to the first pass ethanol metabolism.,miscellaneous:There are 7 different ADH's isozymes in human: three belongs to class-I: alpha, beta, and gamma, one to class-II: pi, one to class-III: chi, one to class-IV: ADH7 and one to class-V: ADH6.,similarity:Belongs to the zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family. Class-IV subfamily.,subunit:Homodimer.,tissue specificity:Preferentially expressed in stomach.,
