ALAD : aminolevulinate dehydratase
Description
The ALAD (aminolevulinate dehydratase) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 9.
The ALAD gene provides instructions for making the delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase enzyme, which is involved in the production of heme. Heme is essential for all the body's organs, especially the blood, bone marrow, and liver. It's a key component of several iron-containing proteins called hemoproteins, including hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Heme production is a multi-step process that requires eight different enzymes. Delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase is responsible for the second step, combining two molecules of delta-aminolevulinic acid to form porphobilinogen. In subsequent steps, four molecules of porphobilinogen are combined and modified to produce heme.
ALAD is also known as ALADH, PBGS.
