Lactate dehydrogenase is a key enzyme involved in the anaerobic metabolic pathway, classified under the oxidoreductases family. Its primary role is to catalyze the reversible conversion of lactate to pyruvate. This process is coupled with the reduction of NAD⁺ to NADH, and can also proceed in the reverse direction, converting pyruvate back into lactate while oxidizing NADH to NAD⁺.

Lactate Dehydrogenase Reaction

It is ubiquitously present in all tissues and serves as an important checkpoint of gluconeogenesis and DNA metabolism. Lactate dehydrogenase assays are valuable in clinical diagnostics and biomedical research, as elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels indicate tissue damage and certain diseases.