Introduction

SCD stands for Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase. This enzyme is highly conserved in eukaryotes and has different isoforms. Mice have four isoforms: SCD1, SCD2, SCD3, and SCD4. Humans have two different isoforms: SCD1 and SCD5. The SCD discussed in this page is the SCD-1 found in mice. SCD was thought to have once been an anaerobic pathway found in cartilaginous fish about 450 million years ago. The enzyme’s mechanism is now aerobic and this aerobic pathway is favored. The structure of SCD1 was found using X-ray crystallography. This enzyme is embedded in the membrane of the Endoplasmic Reticulum. SCD is made up of 15 alpha helices; four helices are embedded in the membrane and 11 helices in the cytosol. The substrate binds to the helices in the cytosol.

Function

Figure 1:

Disease

Alopecia

Binding of Substrate

Active Site

Mechanism

Disease