Transketolase: Observations in alcohol-related brain damage research
The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology Article in Press,
8 April 2008


Thiamin, or vitamin B1, is crucial for brain function. In its active form, thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), it is a co-enzyme for several enzymes, including transketolase.

Transketolase is an important enzyme in the non-oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), a pathway responsible for generating reducing equivalents, which is essential for energy transduction and for generating ribose for nucleic acid synthesis. Transketolase also links the PPP to glycolysis, allowing a cell to adapt to a variety of energy needs, depending on its environment.

Abnormal transketolase expression and/or activity have been implicated in a number of diseases where thiamin availability is low, including Wernicke-Korsakoff's Syndrome and alcoholism.

Yet, the precise mechanism by which this enzyme is involved in the pathophysiology of these disorders remains controversial.

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