Major component of the eye of elephant shrews, which in contrast to other mammals, possesses both a lens- and a non-lens class-1 aldehyde dehydrogenase 1. This eye-specific form is a structural protein of the lens and, in other part of the eye, serves as the major form of ALDH1. Can convert/oxidize retinaldehyde to retinoic acid. an aldehyde + H2O + NAD(+) = a carboxylate + 2 H(+) + NADH Alcohol metabolism; ethanol degradation; acetate from ethanol: step 2/2. Homotetramer. Eye specific, with very high expression in the lens. Belongs to the aldehyde dehydrogenase family.