| Type: | Family | Name: | Lactate dehydrogenase, protist |
| Description: | This entry represents a family of protist (Trichomonad) lactate dehydrogenases which have apparently evolved from a recent protist malate dehydrogenase ancestor []. Lactate dehydrogenase converts the hydroxyl at C-2 of lactate to a carbonyl in the product, pyruvate. The preference of this enzyme for NAD or NADP has not been determined. A critical residue in malate dehydrogenase, arginine-91 (Trichomonas vaginalisnumbering) has been mutated to a leucine, eliminating the positive charge which complemented the carboxylate in malate which is absent in lactate. Several other more subtle changes are proposed to make the active site smaller to accommodate the less bulky lactate molecule []. | Short Name: | Lactate_DH_protist |
