Archaea ALDH Genes

• This page contains a list of the arachaea ALDH genes--listed per species in alphabetical order.  The newely proposed ALDH nomenclature (Vasiliou V, Bairoch A, Tipton KF, Nebert DW. Eukaryotic Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) Genes: Human Polymorphisms, and Recommended Nomenclature Based on Divergent Evolution and Chromosomal Mapping. Pharmacogenetics 1999, in press) does not cover the bacterial genes yet.  This will happen in year 2000. 

• As June 1998, four ALDH genes have been described in archaea. The Haloferax volcanii ALDH gene encodes a protein with high similarity to a Pseudomonas putida ALDH (L23214).  The Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanobacterium ALDH genes encode NADP-dependent G3PDHs, which are similar to Rhizobium sp. glutamate dehydrogenase (Z68203).  The T. tenax TTGAPN gene encodes a NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme (G3PDH), which shows no similarity with the phosphorylating G3PDHs, but it is very similar to non-phosphorylating G3PDHs (Brunner et al., 1998).  The latter enzymes represent a separate ancient branch within the ALDH superfamily (Habenicht et al., 1997).

• There are several usful links at the end of this page.

• This page was created by Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou.  Last update June 10, 1999.