Prokaryotic mycothiol-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase has been structurally characterized by peptide analysis of the 360-residue protein chain and by molecular modelling and functional correlation with the conformational properties of zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenases. The structure is found to be a divergent medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR), at a phylogenetic position intermediate between the cluster of dimeric alcohol dehydrogenases of all classes (including the human foims), and several tetrameric reductaseddehydrogenases. Molecular modelling and functionally important residues suggest a fold of the mycothiol-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase related overall to that of MDR alcohol dehydrogenases, with the presence of the catalytic and structural zinc atoms, but otherwise much altered active-site relationships compatible with the different substrate specificity, and an altered loop structure compatible with differences in the quaternary structure. Residues typical of glutathione binding in class-I11 alcohol dehydrogenase are not present, consistent with that the mycothiol factor is not closely similar to glutathione. The molecular architecture is different from that of the 'constant' alcohol dehydrogenases (of class-111 type) and the 'variable' alcohol dehydrogenases (of class-I and class-I1 types), further supporting the unique structure of mycothiol-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase. Borders of internal chain-length differences between this and other MDR enzymes coincide in different combinations, supporting the concept of limited changes in loop regions within this whole family of proteins.

Mushroom alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) fromAgaricus bisporus (common mushroom, champignon) was puri¢ed to apparent homogeneity. One set of ADH isozymes was found, with speci¢city against formaldehyde/glutathione. It had two highly similar subunits arranged in a three-member isozyme set of dimers with indistinguishable activity. Determination of the primary structure by a combination of chemical, mass spectrometric and cDNA sequence analyses, correlated with molecular modeling towards human ADHs, showed that the active site residues are of class III ADH type, and that the subunit di¡er-ences a¡ect other residues. Class I and III forms of ADHs characterized de¢ne conserved substrate-binding residues (three and eight, respectively) useful for recognition of these enzymes in any organism.

The primary structure of nicotinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Amycolatopsis methanolica was determined and used for modelling against known ADH structures, and for evaluation of the coenzyme binding. The results establish the medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase nature of the nicotinoprotein ADH. Its subunit model and that of the human class Ibeta ADH subunit structure are similar, with mean a carbon deviations of 0.95 A, but they differ in seven loops. Nicotinoprotein ADH occupies a phylogenetic position intermediate between the dimeric and tetrameric ADH families. Two of the differing loops are important for coenzyme binding in the nicotinoprotein model, where one (with a Thr271Arg exchange towards the traditional enzyme) may suggest a slight rotation of the coenzyme adenine ring in the nicotinoprotein, and the other, with an Asn288 insertion, may suggest an extra hydrogen bond to its nicotinamide ribose, favouring stronger binding of the coenzyme. Combined with previous data, this suggests differences in the details of the tight coenzyme binding in different nicotinoproteins, but a common mode for this binding by loop differences.

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Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) of the MDR type (medium-chain dehydrogenases/reductases) have diverged into two evolutionary groups in eukaryotes: a set of 'constant' enzymes (class III) typical of basal enzymes, and a set of 'variable' enzymes (remaining classes) suggesting 'evolving' forms. The variable set has larger overall variability, different segment variability, and variability also in functional segments. Using a major aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) from cod liver and fish ALDHs deduced from the draft genome sequence of Fugu rubripes (Japanese puffer fish), we found that ALDHs form more complex patterns than the ADHs. Nevertheless, ALDHs also group into 'constant' and 'variable' sets, have separate segment variabilities, and distinct functions. Betaine ALDH (class 9 ALDH) is 'constant,' has three segments of variability, all non-functional, and a limited fish/human divergence, reminiscent of the ADH class III pattern. Enzymatic properties of fish betaine ALDH were also determined. Although all ALDH patterns are still not known, overall patterns are related to those of ADH, and group separations may be distinguished. The results can be interpreted functionally, support ALDH isozyme distinctions, and assign properties to the multiplicities of the ADH and ALDH enzymes.