The pyruvate dehydrogenase system (PDH) is a large enzyme complex that belongs to the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase system family, which also includes EC
1.2.1.25, branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase system, EC
1.2.1.105, 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase system, EC
1.4.1.27, glycine cleavage system, and EC
2.3.1.190, acetoin dehydrogenase system. With the exception of the glycine cleavage system, which contains 4 components, the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase systems share a common structure, consisting of three main components, namely a 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase (E1), a dihydrolipoamide acyltransferase (E2), and a dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (E3). The reaction catalysed by this system is the sum of three activities: EC
1.2.4.1, pyruvate dehydrogenase (acetyl-transferring) (E1), EC
2.3.1.12, dihydrolipoyllysine-residue acetyltransferase (E2), and EC
1.8.1.4, dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (E3). The mammalian system also includes E3 binding protein, which is involved in the interaction between the E2 and E3 subunits.