NRK1 controls nicotinamide mononucleotide and nicotinamide riboside metabolism in mammalian cells

Joanna Ratajczak, Magali Joffraud, Samuel A J Trammell, Rosa Ras, Nuria Canela, Marie Boutant, Sameer S. Kulkarni, Marcelo Rodrigues, Philip Redpath, Marie E. Migaud, Johan Auwerx, Oscar Yanes, Charles Brenner, Carles Cantó*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

294 Citations (Scopus)
364 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

NAD+ is a vital redox cofactor and a substrate required for activity of various enzyme families, including sirtuins and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases. Supplementation with NAD+ precursors, such as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide riboside (NR), protects against metabolic disease, neurodegenerative disorders and age-related physiological decline in mammals. Here we show that nicotinamide riboside kinase 1 (NRK1) is necessary and rate-limiting for the use of exogenous NR and NMN for NAD+ synthesis. Using genetic gain- and loss-of-function models, we further demonstrate that the role of NRK1 in driving NAD+ synthesis from other NAD+ precursors, such as nicotinamide or nicotinic acid, is dispensable. Using stable isotope-labelled compounds, we confirm NMN is metabolized extracellularly to NR that is then taken up by the cell and converted into NAD+. Our results indicate that mammalian cells require conversion of extracellular NMN to NR for cellular uptake and NAD+ synthesis, explaining the overlapping metabolic effects observed with the two compounds.

Original languageEnglish
Article number13103
Number of pages12
JournalNature Communications
Volume7
Early online date11 Oct 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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