Biochemical genetics of aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes in the mouse: evidence for stomach- and testis-specific isozymes.

Electrophoretic and activity variants have been observed for stomach and testis aldehyde dehydrogenases, respectively, among inbred strains of the house mouse (Mus musculus). Genetic evidence was obtained for two new loci encoding these isozymes (designated Ahd-4 and Ahd-6, respectively, for the stomach and testis isozymes) which segregated independently of a number of mouse gene markers, including Ahd-1 (encoding mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase) on chromosome 4, ep (pale ears), a marker for chromosome 19, on which Ahd-2 (encoding liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase) has been previously localized, and Adh-3 (encoding the stomach-specific isozyme of alcohol dehydrogenase) on chromosome 3. Recombination studies have indicated, however, that Ahd-4 and Ahd-6 are distinct but closely linked loci on the mouse genome. An extensive survey of the distribution of Ahd-1, Ahd-2, Ahd-4, and Ahd-6 alleles among 56 strains of mice is reported. No variants have been observed, so far, for the microsomal (AHD-3) and mitochondrial/cytosolic (AHD-5) isozymes previously described. This study, in combination with previous investigations on mouse aldehyde dehydrogenases, provides evidence for six genetic loci for this enzyme.