The ADH1B gene encodes the beta subunit of class I alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), an enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step for ethanol metabolism: the oxidation of alcohol to acetaldehyde. It is a member of the alcohol dehydrogenase family. Members of this enzyme family metabolize a wide variety of substrates, including ethanol, retinol, other aliphatic alcohols, hydroxysteroids, and lipid peroxidation products. This encoded protein, consisting of several homo- and heterodimers of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits, exhibits high activity for ethanol oxidation and plays a major role in ethanol catabolism.
