Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a dinucleotide coenzyme that functions as a critical electron carrier in oxidative phosphorylation. Beyond its metabolic role, NAD+ serves as a substrate for sirtuin enzymes (SIRTs), poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs), and cyclic ADP-ribose synthases, linking its concentrations to DNA repair, epigenetic regulation, and cellular stress responses.
Sirtuin Enzyme Activation Research
Sirtuin (SIRT1-7) research represents one of the most active areas of NAD+ biology. Studies have established that sirtuin deacylase and deacetylase activities are strictly NAD+-dependent, directly linking cellular NAD+ concentrations to metabolism, stress response, and longevity pathway regulation.
DNA Repair and PARP Research
PARP enzymes consume NAD+ as a substrate in the post-translational modification of proteins during DNA damage response. Research has examined the competition between PARP activation and sirtuin activity for NAD+ substrate in experimental models of genotoxic stress.
Cellular Energy and Mitochondrial Research
Research has examined NAD+ supplementation's effects on mitochondrial biogenesis markers in preclinical models, including its interactions with the SIRT1-PGC-1alpha axis that governs mitochondrial gene expression in aged rodent models.
• Cantó C et al. (2015). NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 16(7), 397–408.
• Rajman L et al. (2018). Therapeutic potential of NAD-boosting molecules. Cell Metabolism, 27(3), 529–547.
