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Title: Enzymatic production by tissue extracts of a metabolite of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with calcium-releasing ability

Miscellaneous ·
OSTI ID:6074017

This research investigated the occurrence and characterization of the metabolite in mammalian tissues. In all mammalian tissues tested, including rabbit liver, heart, spleen, kidney, and brain, the factor to convert NAD into its active metabolite was present. The conversion exhibited many characteristics of an enzymatic process such as temperature sensitivity, concentration dependence and protease sensitivity. Production of the NAD metabolite occurred within a time frame of 15-45 minutes at 37{degree}C, depending upon the particular preparation. The metabolite was isolated using high performance liquid chromatography from all mammalian tissues. This purified metabolite was then tested for its effectiveness in releasing intracellular calcium in an intact cell by microinjecting it into unfertilized sea urchin eggs. These eggs undergo a massive morphological change upon fertilization which is dependent upon the release of calcium from inside the cell. Upon injection of the NAD metabolite into unfertilized eggs, this same morphological change was observed showing indirectly that the metabolite released intracellular calcium from an intact, viable cell. In addition, radioactive studies using {sup 45}Ca{sup 2+} loaded into permeabilized hepatocytes, indicated in preliminary studies that the NAD metabolite could also release calcium from intracellular stores of mammalian cells.

Research Organization:
Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis, MN (USA)
OSTI ID:
6074017
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English