Open AccessDistribution of alcohol and sorbitol dehydrogenases
Author(s) -
ESTONIUS Mats,
DANIELSSON Olle,
KARLSSON Christina,
PERSSON Håkan,
JÖRNVALL Hans,
HÖÖG JanOlov
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1993.tb18059.x
Subject(s) - alcohol dehydrogenase , sorbitol dehydrogenase , formaldehyde dehydrogenase , biochemistry , dehydrogenase , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , messenger rna , northern blot , chemistry , sorbitol , alcohol , glutathione , enzyme , gene
The tissue distribution of mRNA of alcohol dehydrogenases of classes I, II and III, and sorbitol dehydrogenase, was studied. mRNA from 19 different rat tissues was purified and analyzed by Northern blots, utilizing cDNA probes specific for the four dehydrogenases. Class‐I alcohol‐dehydrogenase mRNA was shown to be of widespread occurrence, detectable in all tissues including brain, but with pronounced differences in amounts. Hybridization revealed the pattern of occurrence of class‐II alcohol‐dehydrogenase mRNA to be unique, with transcripts only in the liver, duodenum, kidney, stomach, spleen and testis. Abundant levels of class‐III alcohol‐dehydrogenase (glutathione‐dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase) mRNA were present in all tissues analyzed, reflecting the general need for scavenging of formaldehyde in physiological cytoprotection. Sorbitol dehydrogenase mRNA was detected in all tissues except small intestine, in agreement with sorbitol resorbtion by passive diffusion in this tissue. In addition, evidence for a sex‐specific expression, in the liver, of class‐II alcohol dehydrogenase was obtained.