Complementation of mitochondrial electron transport chain by manipulation of the NAD + /NADH ratio

Abstract

Taking control of cellular NAD + concentrations Cellular concentrations of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) are critical for proper metabolism and are often altered in aging and disease. To enable better understanding of these processes, Titov et al. altered the concentration of NAD + in particular cellular compartments. They did this through expression of a bacterial enzyme targeted to specific compartments of human cells in culture. Their experiments emphasize the important role of the electron transport chain in redox transfer of electrons to NADH, rather than proton pumping, in mitochondrial pathogenesis. Science , this issue p. 231