Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Family 1 Member A1 (ALDH1A1) is a cytoplasmic enzyme that belongs to the Aldehyde Dehydrogenase family. ALDH1A1 is the second enzyme of the major oxidative pathway of alcohol metabolism. Two major liver isoforms of this enzyme, cytosolic and mitochondrial, can be distinguished by their electrophoretic mobilities, kinetic properties and subcellular localizations. ALDH1A1 is the main cytosolic isoform, which has a lower affinity for aldehydes than the mitochondrial enzyme. ALDH1A1 binds free retinal and cellular retinol-binding protein-bound retinal. It can convert/oxidize retinaldehyde to retinoic acid.
