PURIFICATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL MATRIX ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE FROM PIG BRAIN

The activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in the cerebrum, cerebellum, striatum, and medulla oblongata was examined and mitochondrial matrix ALDH was purified prior to immunohistochemical study on the localization of ALDH isozymes in pig brain, Relatively high enzyme activity was found in the striatum and medulla oblongata when using indole-3-acetaldehyde as substrate, and in the striatum when using 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL). The main part of mitochondrial ALDH activities with both acetaldehyde and DOPAL existed in the matrix fraction. The ratio of activity of the matrix to the membrane fraction in the cerebrum was higher than in the cerebellum, suggesting that the distribution pattern of ALDH isozymes was different according to the brain regions. The 276-fold purified mitochondrial matrix ALDH from pig brain was identified to be homologous tetramers with 53 KD subunits. The enzyme showed maximal activity at pH 9.0 and was stable in the temperature range from 25 degrees C to 37 degrees C. The mitochondrial matrix ALDH activity was considerably inhibited by acetaldehyde in vitro. The K-m values of the enzyme for acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde were 5.8 mM and 4.9 mM, respectively, whereas K-m values for indole-3-acetaldehyde and DOPAL were 44 mu M and 1.6 mu M, respectively. The V-max/K-m ratio was the highest with DOPAL as compared with other substrates. These results suggested that mitochondrial matrix ALDH in the present work might be a low K-m isozyme involved in biogenic aldehyde oxidation in pig brain.