Human liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase: a C-terminal segment positions and defines the structure corresponding to the one reported to differ in the Oriental enzyme variant.

A C-terminal segment of mitochondrial human liver aldehyde dehydrogenase was characterized. The results prove that a central part of this segment largely but not completely agrees with a structure of a tryptic peptide previously reported for the same isoenzyme. This part corresponds to a segment that contains the exchanged residue in the functionally deficient Oriental variant of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase [(1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 258-261]. The data suggest important functions for the C-terminal region of aldehyde dehydrogenase, clarify previously inconsistent results, and establish this structure in the typical enzyme, including the position corresponding to the mutation in the functional variant.