Occurrence and subcellular location of NADH- and NADPH-linked aquacobalamin reductases in human liver

Abstract 1. 1. Both activities of NADH- and NADPH-linked aquacobalamin reductases were found in some human tissues, liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, spleen, lung, cerebrum, cerebellum, adrenal glands, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon and bone marrow. 2. 2. Human liver contained both enzymes with higher specific activities than any other tissues. 3. 3. The liver NADH-linked enzyme was distributed in both mitochondrial (approx. 60%) and microsomal (40%) fractions; similar to the distribution of the NADPH-linked enzyme, but of which 40% activity was found in the mitochondria and the remaining activity was recovered in the microsomes. 4. 4. The results suggest that the synthetic systems of the cobalamin coenzymes occur in both mitochondria and microsomes of human liver.