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Human mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase class 2 (ALDH2) is an important enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde, an intermediate product of ethanol, into acetic acid. It functions as a homotetramer, oxidizing acetaldehyde and reducing NAD+. Approximately 40% of East Asians have a reduced ALDH2 function, due to the mutation of Glu to Lys at amino acid 487. Those with this mutation can experience symptoms of reduced alcohol tolerance, including nausea, general "hangover" symptoms, and facial flushing (thus "Asian flush"). Our hypothesis is that this mutation weakens the interaction between ALDH2 monomers, therefore reducing it's catalytic activity.
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