Multiple retinoid dehydrogenases in testes cytosol from alcohol dehydrogenase negative or positive deermice

Retinoic acid syntheses from retinol by cytosol from testes of alcohol dehydrogenase negative or positive deermice were similar in specific activity and in their insensitivity to 1 M ethanol or 100 mM 4-methylpyrazole. Anion-exchange followed by size-exclusion chromatography revealed multiple and similarly migrating peaks in each cytosol that had both retinol and retinal dehydrogenase activities. Thus, the effects of ethanol on testes cannot be caused by direct inhibition of cytosolic retinoic acid synthesis because retinoid dehydrogenases distinct from mouse class A2 alcohol dehydrogenases, which corresponds to human class I, occurred in testes and they were not inhibited by ethanol. These data also demonstrate the occurrence of multiple cytosolic retinoic acid synthesis activities and indicate that the two reactions of cytosolic retinoic acid synthesis, retinol and retinal dehydrogenation, may be catalyzed by enzymes that occur as complexes.