Dehydrogenase

A dehydrogenase is an enzyme belonging to the group of oxidoreductases that oxidizes a substrate by reducing an electron acceptor, usually NAD⁺/NADP⁺^[1] or a flavin coenzyme such as FAD or FMN. Like all catalysts, they catalyze reverse as well as forward reactions, and in some cases this has physiological significance: for example, alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde in animals, but in yeast it catalyzes the production of ethanol from acetaldehyde.

^ An IUPAC panel on biochemical thermodynamics convened by Robert Alberty pointed out that the oxidized form of NAD is negatively charged, and that NAD⁺ is an inappropriate symbol for an anion [Alberty, R.A. (1994). "Recommendations for Nomenclature and Tables in Biochemical Thermodynamics (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 66 (8): 1641–1666. doi:10.1351/pac199466081641. S2CID 96307963.] However, NAD⁺ and, similarly, NADP⁺ remain in almost universal use and alternatives such as NAD_oxidized have been very little adopted.

[1] An IUPAC panel on biochemical thermodynamics convened by Robert Alberty pointed out that the oxidized form of NAD is negatively charged, and that NAD⁺ is an inappropriate symbol for an anion [Alberty, R.A. (1994). "Recommendations for Nomenclature and Tables in Biochemical Thermodynamics (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 66 (8): 1641–1666. doi:10.1351/pac199466081641. S2CID 96307963.] However, NAD⁺ and, similarly, NADP⁺ remain in almost universal use and alternatives such as NAD_oxidized have been very little adopted.

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