Aldehyde dehydrogenase 5 family, member A1

This protein belongs to the aldehyde dehydrogenase family of proteins. This gene encodes a mitochondrial NAD⁺-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase. A deficiency of this enzyme, known as 4-hydroxybutyricaciduria, is a rare inborn error in the metabolism of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In response to the defect, physiologic fluids from patients accumulate GHB, a compound with numerous neuromodulatory properties. Two transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene.^[7]