Human Aldehyde Dehydrogenase: Mechanism of Inhibition of Disulfiram

Abstract

Disulfiram labeled with carbon-14 reacts specifically with human liver aldehyde dehydrogenase E1 with loss of catalytic activity and no incorporation of label. Carbon-14-labeled diethyldithiocarbamate is formed and the number of enzyme sulfhydryl groups decreases from 34 to 30 during this process. Activity is recovered by 2-mercaptoethanol but not by glutathione, the physiological reducing agent.