Human aldehyde dehydrogenase E3 isozyme is a betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase

The E3 isozyme of human aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.3), with broad substrate specificity, which also catalyzes dehydrogenation of 4-aminobutyraldehyde, was purified and sequenced recently (1,3). It has been shown during this investigation to have betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. Betaine aldehyde and 4-aminobutyraldehyde activities copurified on six chromatographic columns. Molecular properties of the homogeneous product were identical with those of E3 isozyme. Activity with betaine aldehyde was considerably higher than that with 4-aminobutyraldehyde, the best known substrate. Thus, human E3 isozyme and betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.8) are the same enzyme.