这个基因编码醇脱氢酶家族的一个成员。编码的蛋白质是I类醇脱氢酶的α亚单位，由α、β和γ亚单位的多个同型和异型二聚体组成。醇脱氢酶催化醇氧化成醛。该基因在胎儿早期活跃于肝脏，但在成人肝脏中仅微弱活跃在4号染色体长臂上，这个基因与6个额外的醇脱氢酶基因，包括编码β和γ亚基的基因簇一起被发现。这种基因的突变可能导致某些人格特征和物质依赖的变异。[由RefSeq提供，2010年11月]
This gene encodes a member of the alcohol dehydrogenase family. The encoded protein is the alpha subunit of class I alcohol dehydrogenase, which consists of several homo- and heterodimers of alpha, beta and gamma subunits. Alcohol dehydrogenases catalyze the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes. This gene is active in the liver in early fetal life but only weakly active in adult liver. This gene is found in a cluster with six additional alcohol dehydrogenase genes, including those encoding the beta and gamma subunits, on the long arm of chromosome 4. Mutations in this gene may contribute to variation in certain personality traits and substance dependence. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2010]