Aldo-keto reductase-7A (AKR7A) subfamily belongs to the AKR superfamily and is associated with detoxification of aldehydes and ketones by reducing them to the corresponding alcohols. So far five members of ARK7A subfamily are identified: two human members-AKR7A2 and AKR7A3, two rat members-AKR7A1 and AKR7A4, and one mouse member-AKR7A5, which are implicated in several diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. AKR7A members share similar crystal structures and protein functional domains, but have different substrate specificity, inducibility and biological functions. This review will summarize the research progress of AKR7A members in substrate specificity, tissue distribution, inducibility, crystal structure and biological function. The significance of AKR7A members in the occurrence and development of diseases will also be discussed.
Keywords: AKR7A; Aflatoxin B(1) aldehyde reductase; Detoxification.
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