Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH)

Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a hereditary condition in which red blood cells break down (hemolysis) when the body is exposed to certain foods, drugs, infections or stress. It occurs when a person is missing or has low levels of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. This enzyme helps red blood cells work properly. Symptoms during a hemolytic episode may include dark urine, fatigue, paleness, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice). G6PD deficiency is inherited in an X-linked recessive manner and symptoms are more common in males (particularly African Americans and those from certain parts of Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean). It is caused by genetic changes in the G6PD gene.

Glucose-6-Phophate Dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) consists of two subunits of equivalent molecular weight.The amino acid sequence of the monomer has been published.G-6-PDH has been utilized in assays for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and tissue pyridine nucleotides. G-6-PDH can be reactivated from urea-denatured solutions.

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase is a key regulatory enzyme in the first step of the pentose phosphate pathway. G-6-P-DH oxidizes glucose-6- phosphate in the presence of NADP⁺ to yield 6- phosphogluconate. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, activity staining, and anti-yeast G-6- PDH antibody immunoblotting studies have indicated that G-6-PDH is a glycoprotein.