Recombinant S. cerevisiae Nicotinamidase protein

Supplementary information

This supplementary information is collated from multiple sources and compiled automatically.

Nicotinamidase also known as nicotinamide deamidase or Pnc1 is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of nicotinamide to nicotinic acid and ammonia. It has a molecular mass of approximately 23 kDa. Nicotinamidase is expressed in various organisms including bacteria yeast plants and animals where it plays a role in maintaining NAD+ homeostasis. Its highest expression usually occurs in the liver where metabolic activities are significant.

Biological function summary

Nicotinamidase functions in the NAD+ salvage pathway which recycles nicotinamide into nicotinic acid thereby contributing to NAD+ biosynthesis. It forms part of the larger pyridine nucleotide cycling processes. NAD+ is a critical coenzyme in many cellular activities including energy metabolism DNA repair and gene expression regulation. By converting nicotinamide to nicotinic acid nicotinamidase influences the availability of NAD+ impacting cellular energetics and longevity.

Pathways

Nicotinamidase is essential in the salvage pathway of NAD+ biosynthesis and it interacts mainly with the NAD+ metabolism pathway. It works closely with other enzymes in this route like nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase to ensure continuous NAD+ regeneration. Nicotinamidase-related activities affect several cellular processes particularly the ones controlled by the sirtuin family of proteins which rely on NAD+ as a substrate for deacetylation reactions.

Nicotinamidase activity can link to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Abnormalities in NAD+ metabolism often influenced by nicotinamidase function can lead to altered cellular processes that increase cancer risk or neuronal damage. Studies show that changes in the pathways involving sirtuins which are affected by nicotinamidase via NAD+ levels can contribute to these conditions. Enhanced understanding of nicotinamidase might open therapeutic avenues for targeting these disorders.