Kinetic analysis of human enzyme RDH10 defines the characteristics of a physiologically relevant retinol dehydrogenase

Abstract

Human retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10) was implicated in the oxidation of all-trans-retinol for biosynthesis of all-trans-retinoic acid, however, initial assays suggested that RDH10 prefers NADP+ as a cofactor, undermining its role as an oxidative enzyme. Here, we present evidence that RDH10 is, in fact, a strictly NAD+-dependent enzyme with multisubstrate specificity that recognizes cis-retinols as well as all-trans-retinol as substrates. RDH10 has a relatively high apparent Km value for NAD+ (∼100 μM) but the lowest apparent Km value for all-trans-retinol (∼0.035 μM) among all NAD+-dependent retinoid oxidoreductases. Due to its high affinity for all-trans-retinol, RDH10 exhibits a greater rate of retinol oxidation in the presence of cellular retinol-binding protein type I (CRBPI) than human microsomal RoDH4, but like RoDH4, RDH10 does not recognize retinol bound to CRBPI as a substrate. Consistent with its preference for NAD+, RDH10 functions exclusively in the oxidative direction in the cells, increasing the levels of retinaldehyde and retinoic acid. Targeted small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of endogenous RDH10 or RoDH4 expression in human cells results in a significant decrease in retinoic acid production from retinol, identifying both human enzymes as physiologically relevant retinol dehydrogenases. The dual cis/ trans substrate specificity suggests a dual physiological role for RDH10: in the biosynthesis of 11-cis-retinaldehyde for vision as well as the biosynthesis of all-trans-retinoic acid for differentiation and development. © 2008 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.