Computational Study of Network and Type-I Functional Divergence in Alcohol Dehydrogenase Enzymes Across Species Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are critical enzymes involved in the oxidation of alcohols, contributing to various metabolic pathways across organisms. This study investigates type I functional divergence within three ADH1 families: <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> (PDB ID: 4W6Z), <i>Gadus morhua</i> (PDB ID: 1CDO), and <i>Homo sapiens</i> (PDB ID: 1HDX). Understanding the molecular evolution and mechanisms underlying functional divergence of ADHs is essential for comprehending their adaptive significance. For this purpose, we performed a computational analysis that included structural characterization of ADHs through three-dimensional modeling, site-specific analysis to evaluate selective pressures and evolutionary constraints, and network analysis to elucidate relationships between structural features and functional divergence. Our findings indicate substantial variations in evolutionary and structural adaptations among the ADH families.