Doped Graphene To Mimic the Bacterial NADH Oxidase for One-Step NAD+ Supplementation in Mammals

J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Feb 8;145(5):3108-3120. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c12336. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Abstract

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a critical regulator of metabolic networks, and declining levels of its oxidized form, NAD+, are closely associated with numerous diseases. While supplementing cells with precursors needed for NAD+ synthesis has shown poor efficacy in combatting NAD+ decline, an alternative strategy is the development of synthetic materials that catalyze the oxidation of NADH into NAD+, thereby taking over the natural role of the NADH oxidase (NOX) present in bacteria. Herein, we discovered that metal-nitrogen-doped graphene (MNGR) materials can catalyze the oxidation of NADH into NAD+. Among MNGR materials with different transition metals, Fe-, Co-, and Cu-NGR displayed strong catalytic activity combined with >80% conversion of NADH into NAD+, similar specificity to NOX for abstracting hydrogen from the pyridine ring of nicotinamide, and higher selectivity than 51 other nanomaterials. The NOX-like activity of FeNGR functioned well in diverse cell lines. As a proof of concept of the in vivo application, we showed that FeNGR could specifically target the liver and remedy the metabolic flux anomaly in obesity mice with NAD+-deficient cells. Overall, our study provides a distinct insight for exploration of drug candidates by design of synthetic materials to mimic the functions of unique enzymes (e.g., NOX) in bacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Graphite*
  • Mammals / metabolism
  • Mice
  • NAD* / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction

Substances

  • NADH oxidase
  • NAD
  • Graphite