Coenzyme A, more than ‘just’ a metabolic cofactor

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 1075-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balaji Srinivasan ◽  
Ody C.M. Sibon

In all organisms biomolecules play a vital role to enable proper cellular metabolism. Alteration of metabolite homoeostasis disrupts the physiology of cells, leading to various diseases [DeBerardinis and Thompson (2012) Cell, 148, 1132–1144]. Recent studies advances our understanding that some metabolites are not only involved in cellular metabolism, but also have other molecular functions. It has become evident that similar to multifunctional ‘moonlighting proteins’, ‘moonlighting metabolites’ also exists. One clear example is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is a ubiquitous molecule with a well-known function in many metabolic reactions, but it also has become clear that NAD is involved in the regulation of sirtuins. Sirtuins play a role in cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other diseases [Donmez and Outeiro (2013) EMBO Mol. Med. 5, 344–352] and the deacetylation capacity of sirtuin proteins is NAD-dependent. This direct role of NAD in age-related diseases could not be anticipated when NAD was initially discovered as a metabolic cofactor [Donmez and Outeiro (2013) EMBO Mol. Med. 5, 344–352; Mouchiroud et al. (2013) Crit. Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 48, 397–408]. Recent findings now also indicate that CoA (coenzyme A), another metabolic cofactor, can be considered as being more than ‘just’ a metabolic cofactor, and altered CoA levels lead to severe and complex effects.

2020 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fleur E. Mason ◽  
Julius Ryan D. Pronto ◽  
Khaled Alhussini ◽  
Christoph Maack ◽  
Niels Voigt

AbstractThe molecular mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common form of arrhythmia, are poorly understood and therefore target-specific treatment options remain an unmet clinical need. Excitation–contraction coupling in cardiac myocytes requires high amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is replenished by oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. Calcium (Ca2+) is a key regulator of mitochondrial function by stimulating the Krebs cycle, which produces nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide for ATP production at the electron transport chain and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate for the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS). While it is now well established that mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in the pathophysiology of heart failure, this has been less investigated in atrial myocytes in AF. Considering the high prevalence of AF, investigating the role of mitochondria in this disease may guide the path towards new therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the importance of mitochondrial Ca2+ handling in regulating ATP production and mitochondrial ROS emission and how alterations, particularly in these aspects of mitochondrial activity, may play a role in AF. In addition to describing research advances, we highlight areas in which further studies are required to elucidate the role of mitochondria in AF.


Genetika ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-524
Author(s):  
Simone Perna ◽  
Chiara Bologna ◽  
Pietro Cavagna ◽  
Luisa Bernardinelli ◽  
Davide Guido ◽  
...  

Alzheimer?s Disease (AD) is the most common cause of sporadic dementia, as it affects 60% of cognitive impaired patients; it commonly affects middle and late life, and it is considered an age-related disease. Early-onset familial AD is associated with mutations of the genes encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PS-1), or PS-2, resulting in the overproduction of amyloid beta-protein. Epidemiological and case-control studies have led to the identification of several risk factors for sporadic AD. The most concrete genetic risk factor for AD is the epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E gene (APOE). In addition, several genes such as CTNNA3, GAB2, PVRL2, TOMM40, and APOC1 are known to be the risk factors that contribute to AD pathogenesis. A direct role of interaction between genetic and environmental determinants has been proposed in an epigenetic dynamic for environmental factors operating during the preconceptual, fetal and infant phases of life. Also the the association between mtDNA inherited variants and multifactorial diseases and AD has been investigated by a number of studies that, however, didn?t reach a general consensus on the correlation between mtDNA haplogroups and AD.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 1025-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederica L. Theodoulou ◽  
Ody C.M. Sibon ◽  
Suzanne Jackowski ◽  
Ivan Gout

In 1945, Fritz Lipmann discovered a heat-stable cofactor required for many enzyme-catalysed acetylation reactions. He later determined the structure for this acetylation coenzyme, or coenzyme A (CoA), an achievement for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1953. CoA is now firmly embedded in the literature, and in students’ minds, as an acyl carrier in metabolic reactions. However, recent research has revealed diverse and important roles for CoA above and beyond intermediary metabolism. As well as participating in direct post-translational regulation of metabolic pathways by protein acetylation, CoA modulates the epigenome via acetylation of histones. The organization of CoA biosynthetic enzymes into multiprotein complexes with different partners also points to close linkages between the CoA pool and multiple signalling pathways. Dysregulation of CoA biosynthesis or CoA thioester homoeostasis is associated with various human pathologies and, although the biochemistry of CoA biosynthesis is highly conserved, there are significant sequence and structural differences between microbial and human biosynthetic enzymes. Therefore the CoA biosynthetic pathway is an attractive target for drug discovery. The purpose of the Coenzyme A and Its Derivatives in Cellular Metabolism and Disease Biochemical Society Focused Meeting was to bring together researchers from around the world to discuss the most recent advances on the influence of CoA, its biosynthetic enzymes and its thioesters in cellular metabolism and diseases and to discuss challenges and opportunities for the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. eaax0501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhyun Kim ◽  
Sahng Ha Lee ◽  
Florian Tieves ◽  
Caroline E. Paul ◽  
Frank Hollmann ◽  
...  

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a key redox compound in all living cells responsible for energy transduction, genomic integrity, life-span extension, and neuromodulation. Here, we report a new function of NAD+ as a molecular photocatalyst in addition to the biological roles. Our spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses reveal light absorption and electronic properties of two π-conjugated systems of NAD+. Furthermore, NAD+ exhibits a robust photostability under UV-Vis-NIR irradiation. We demonstrate photocatalytic redox reactions driven by NAD+, such as O2 reduction, H2O oxidation, and the formation of metallic nanoparticles. Beyond the traditional role of NAD+ as a cofactor in redox biocatalysis, NAD+ executes direct photoactivation of oxidoreductases through the reduction of enzyme prosthetic groups. Consequently, the synergetic integration of biocatalysis and photocatalysis using NAD+ enables solar-to-chemical conversion with the highest-ever-recorded turnover frequency and total turnover number of 1263.4 hour−1 and 1692.3, respectively, for light-driven biocatalytic trans-hydrogenation.


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