The activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase by diethylstilboestrol and 2,2'-dithiodipyridine

1. The activation of sheep liver cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase by diethylstilboestrol and by 2,2'-dithiodipyridine is described. The effects of the two modifiers are very similar with respect to variation with acetaldehyde concentration, pH and temperature. Thus the degree of activation is maximal when the enzyme is assayed at approx. 1 mM-acetaldehyde, is greater at 25 degrees C than at 37 degrees C, and is greater at pH 7.4 than at pH 9.75. With low concentrations of acetaldehyde both modifiers decrease the enzyme activity. 2. Diethylstilboestrol affects the sheep liver cytoplasmic enzyme in a very similar way to that previously described for a rabbit liver cytoplasmic enzyme. Preliminary experiments show that the same is true for a preparation of human liver aldehyde dehydrogenase. It is proposed that sensitivity to diethylstilboestrol (and steroids) is a common property of all mammalian cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenases.