Partial Similarities Between Yeast and Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenases

Abstract

The primary structure of about half of the protein chain of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase has been determined and compared with the amino-acid sequences of other dehydrogenases. The enzyme is found to be distantly related to horse-liver alcohol dehydrogenase, although these two proteins have different quaternary structures and subunit sizes. Some regions show no significant similarities, but long segments within the N-terminal parts of the molecules are homologous, suggesting a common and important function for these segments. Ancestral connections between some different dehydrogenases can be concluded and the degree of evolutionary changes may be estimated.