Analysis of human alcohol- and aldehyde-metabolizing isozymes by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing

Isoelectric focusing and electrophoresis were used to identify the various isozymes of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), aldehyde oxidase (AOX), and xanthine oxidase (XOX). ADH types I, II, and III were located primarily in the cytosol fraction of liver, but some activity was found also in the small granule fraction. The ALDH-I and -IV isozymes were found in the large granule fraction, while ALDH-II and -III were present in the cytosol and ALDH-V in the small granule fraction. AOX and XOX each appeared as a single cytosolic form with some small granule activity. The tissue distribution of these isozymes is presented and the physiological role of each enzyme is discussed.