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    Although being currently illustrated in Biochemistry textbooks, NAD+ metabolism is still largely undefined in its features. Specifically, enzymes involved in NAD+ biosynthesis and some of the enzymes involved in its utilization localize to distinct subcellular compartments of the same cell and, functionally, also to different cell types of the same organism. These findings lead to revolutionize current ideas. For instance, 1) NAD+ biosynthesis from several precursors (e.g., Nicotinamide, Nicotinic Acid, Nicotinamide mononucleotide, Nicotinamide riboside, Tryptophan, collectively defined Vit. B3) is a systemic yet segmentary process, whose individual steps may occur in different cells/tissues/organs. These activate a crosstalk via the exchange of intermediate metabolites in biological fluids and the eventual NAD+ biosynthesis takes place in selected cells able to utilize it in diverse, fundamental processes. Therefore, NAD+ metabolism is an organ- ismal process encompassing local events. 2) Utilization of NAD+ for regulation of cell functions involves the trafficking, both subcellular (autocrine) and intercellular (paracrine), of signal-metabolites including NAD+ itself and NAD+-derived second messengers, e.g. Cyclic ADP-ribose and ADP-ribose. This hitherto unrecognized trafficking involves a complex in-terplay of ectoenzymes (e.g. CD38), plasmamembrane receptors and related signal transduction pathways, equilibrative and concentrative transporters, ion channels, whose outcome is the fine control of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and of Ca2+-dependent cell functions. Further elucidation of compartmentation of NAD+ and more extensive identification of its precursors/metabolites is expected to unveil at the mechanistic level a number of physiological and pathological processes, e.g. aging and age-related diseases.
    Nicotinamide mononucleotide
    Cyclic ADP-Ribose
    Citations (0)
    An efficient synthesis of cyclic ADP-carbocyclic-ribose (2), as a stable mimic for cyclic ADP-ribose, was achieved. Treatment of N 1-carbocyclic-ribosyla-denosine bisphosphate derivative 10 with AgNO3 in the presence of molecular sieves 3A in pyridine gave the desired cyclic product in 93% yield, which was deprotected to give the target cyclic ADP-carbocyclic-ribose (2).
    Cyclic ADP-Ribose
    Ribose
    Derivative (finance)
    Citations (4)
    Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) is a Ca(2+)-mobilizing second messenger involved in the regulation of various physiological processes. The ability to detect changes in endogenous cADPR is a fundamental step in the identification of its role in signal transduction triggered by hormones and other stimuli. Because the intracellular concentration of cADPR can be very low, depending on the expression level of the ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity (forming cADPR and nicotinamide from NAD) in the cell type of interest, very sensitive and selective methods are required. The method presented here exploits the ability of the ADP-ribosyl cyclase to catalyze the reverse reaction (i.e., to synthesize NAD stoichiometrically starting from cADPR) in the presence of an excess of nicotinamide. The generation of NAD can be coupled to a cycling assay using the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and diaphorase. The former reduces NAD to NADH in the presence of ethanol and the latter oxidizes NADH to NAD in the presence of resazurin and flavin mononucleotide. The formation of the fluorescent reduced resazurin (resofurin) can be detected with a plate reader. Thus, this cycling assay for cADPR determination can be considered a high-throughput method, potentially screening cADPR concentration simultaneously in many samples.
    Cyclic ADP-Ribose
    Resazurin
    Nicotinamide mononucleotide
    Flavin mononucleotide
    Second messenger system
    Citations (1)
    Abstract The presence of NAD-metabolizing enzymes (e.g., ADP-ribosyltransferase (ART)2) on the surface of immune cells suggests a potential immunomodulatory activity for ecto-NAD or its metabolites at sites of inflammation and cell lysis where extracellular levels of NAD may be high. In vitro, NAD inhibits mitogen-stimulated rat T cell proliferation. To investigate the mechanism of inhibition, the effects of NAD and its metabolites on T cell proliferation were studied using ART2a+ and ART2b+ rat T cells. NAD and ADP-ribose, but not nicotinamide, inhibited proliferation of mitogen-activated T cells independent of ART2 allele-specific expression. Inhibition by P2 purinergic receptor agonists was comparable to that induced by NAD and ADP-ribose; these compounds were more potent than P1 agonists. Analysis of the NAD-metabolizing activity of intact rat T cells demonstrated that ADP-ribose was the predominant metabolite, consistent with the presence of cell surface NAD glycohydrolase (NADase) activities. Treatment of T cells with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C removed much of the NADase activity, consistent with at least one NADase having a GPI anchor; ART2− T cell subsets contained NADase activity that was not releasable by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C treatment. Formation of AMP from NAD and ADP-ribose also occurred, a result of cell surface pyrophosphatase activity. Because AMP and its metabolite, adenosine, were less inhibitory to rat T cell proliferation than was NAD or ADP-ribose, pyrophosphatases may serve a regulatory role in modifying the inhibitory effect of ecto-NAD on T cell activation. These data suggest that T cells express multiple NAD and adenine nucleotide-metabolizing activities that together modulate immune function.
    Cyclic ADP-Ribose
    Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
    Citations (35)