AKR1B1
AKR1B1 (aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B, also known as AR or ALDR1) is a cytoplasmic NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase that reduces a wide range of carbonyl compounds to alcohols. It catalyses the conversion of glucose to sorbitol, the first step of the polyol pathway. Browse Assay Genie's current range of AKR1B1 research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
AKR1B1 catalyses the NADPH-dependent reduction of a wide variety of carbonyl-containing compounds to their corresponding alcohols. Its substrates include aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes, ketones, monosaccharides, bile acids and xenobiotics. It also reduces steroids and their derivatives and prostaglandins, and shows low activity towards all-trans-retinal, 9-cis-retinal and 13-cis-retinal.
A central role of AKR1B1 is the reduction of glucose to sorbitol, the first step of the polyol pathway. This alternative route of glucose metabolism converts glucose to fructose and becomes highly active under elevated glucose levels, such as during hyperglycaemia. For this reason the enzyme is implicated in the development of diabetic complications. The enzyme also reduces phospholipid aldehydes such as POVPC, which are generated by the oxidation of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamides, and helps detoxify dietary and lipid-derived unsaturated carbonyls, including crotonaldehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal, trans-2-hexenal, trans-2,4-hexadienal and their glutathione-conjugated carbonyls (GS-carbonyls).
The AKR1B1 gene encodes a member of the aldo/keto reductase superfamily, which comprises more than 40 known enzymes and proteins. Multiple pseudogenes have been identified for this gene. The protein was previously named aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B1 (aldose reductase), and it is the source of the alias AR. The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee system for human aldo-keto reductases differs from that used by the Mouse Genome Informatics database, so check nomenclature when comparing species. The mouse and rat orthologs are both named Akr1b1.
AKR1B1 reduces glucose to sorbitol and is implicated in the development of diabetic complications, making it a focus for studies of polyol pathway activity.
The polyol pathway is an alternative route that converts glucose to fructose and becomes highly active during hyperglycaemia, with AKR1B1 catalysing its first step.
AKR1B1 reduces phospholipid aldehydes and unsaturated carbonyls such as 4-hydroxynonenal and their glutathione conjugates, relevant to studies of lipid oxidation products.
The enzyme acts on steroids, prostaglandins, bile acids and xenobiotic substrates, so it is studied in carbonyl metabolism across diverse compound classes.
AKR1B1 catalyses the NADPH-dependent reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols. It converts glucose to sorbitol in the first step of the polyol pathway, and it also reduces steroids, prostaglandins, phospholipid aldehydes and toxic unsaturated carbonyls such as 4-hydroxynonenal.
AKR1B1 is also known as aldose reductase, with the aliases AR and ALDR1. Its previous HGNC name was aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B1 (aldose reductase). UniProt lists it as aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B1, and it is classed in the aldo-keto reductase gene group.
Orthologs exist in mouse and rat, both named Akr1b1, although human and mouse aldo-keto reductase nomenclature systems differ. NCBI Gene notes that AKR1B1 is implicated in the development of diabetic complications through its reduction of glucose to sorbitol. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Other aldo-keto reductase family members involved in carbonyl, steroid and aldehyde metabolism.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt P15121; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.