Response of human keratinocytes to extremely low concentrations of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

Since alkylating agents are widely present in the environment and constitute a continuous challenge to genome integrity, cells and organisms have developed defense mechanisms to remove such lesions. We monitored the response of human keratinocytes to a very low concentration of a methylating agent, namely 2.5 nM N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). The effect of a 60-min exposure of quiescent cells to 2.5 nM MNNG was studied in terms of DNA integrity, poly(ADP-ribose) metabolism, clonogenic survival and DNA synthesis. We observed two waves of DNA strand break formation and resealing. Interestingly, the amount of DNA strand breaks in exposed cells was lower than in unexposed control cells. This phenomenon was also observed when cells were exposed to MNNG in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, or when they were maintained on ice during the treatment. A dose of 2.5 nM MNNG stimulated poly(ADP-ribose) turnover, reduced the intracellular NAD⁺ content, stimulated DNA synthesis and caused a remarkable increase in clonogenic survival. Thus, the cellular responses to extremely low concentrations of MNNG differ sharply from those observed at higher doses of this carcinogen. We conclude that the very low dose response cannot be extrapolated from usual dose-response analyses.     

Cytoprotective Effects of Nicotinamide Derivatives in Endothelial Cells

Following discovery of NAD⁺-dependent reactions that control gene expression, cytoprotection, and longevity, there has been a renewed therapeutic interest in precursors, such as nicotinamide and its derivatives. We tested 20 analogues of nicotinamide for their ability to protect endothelial cells from peroxynitrite stress and their effect on poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity. Several nicotinamide derivatives protected endothelial cells from peroxynitrite-induced depletion of cellular NAD⁺ and ATP concentrations, but only some of these compounds inhibited PARP. We conclude that some nicotinamide derivatives provide protection of endothelial cells against peroxynitrite-induced injury independent of inhibition of PARP activity. Preservation of the NAD⁺ pool was a common effect of these compounds.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 Modulates Interaction of the Nucleotide Excision Repair Factor XPC-RAD23B with DNA via Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a reversible post-translational modification that plays an essential role in many cellular processes, including regulation of DNA repair. Cellular DNA damage response by the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is mediated mainly by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). The XPC-RAD23B complex is one of the key factors of nucleotide excision repair participating in the primary DNA damage recognition. By using several biochemical approaches, we have analyzed the influence of PARP1 and PAR synthesis on the interaction of XPC-RAD23B with damaged DNA. Free PAR binds to XPC-RAD23B with an affinity that depends on the length of the poly(ADP-ribose) strand and competes with DNA for protein binding. Using ³²P-labeled NAD⁺ and immunoblotting, we also demonstrate that both subunits of the XPC-RAD23B are poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated by PARP1. The efficiency of XPC-RAD23B PARylation depends on DNA structure and increases after UV irradiation of DNA. Therefore, our study clearly shows that XPC-RAD23B is a target of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation catalyzed by PARP1, which can be regarded as a universal regulator of DNA repair processes.     

Skeletal muscle hexokinase: regulation in mammalian hibernation

The perfused rat liver responds in several ways to NAD⁺ infusion (20–100 μM). Increases in portal perfusion pressure and glycogenolysis and transient inhibition of oxygen consumption and gluconeogenesis are some of the effects that were observed. Extracellular NAD⁺ is also extensively transformed in the liver. The purpose of the present work was to determine the main products of extracellular NAD⁺ transformation under various conditions and to investigate the possible contribution of these products for the metabolic effects of the parent compound. The experiments were done with the isolated perfused rat liver. The NAD⁺ transformation was monitored by HPLC. Confirming previous findings, the single-pass transformation of 100 μM NAD⁺ ranged between 75% at 1.5 min after starting infusion to 95% at 8 min. The most important products of single-pass NAD⁺ transformation appearing in the outflowing perfusate were nicotinamide, ADP-ribose, uric acid, and inosine. The relative proportions of these products presented some variations with the time after initiation of NAD⁺ infusion and the perfusion conditions, but ADP-ribose was always more abundant than uric acid and inosine. Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADP-ribose) as well as adenosine were not detected in the outflowing perfusate. The metabolic effects of ADP-ribose were essentially those already described for NAD⁺. These effects were sensitive to suramin (P2_XY purinergic receptor antagonist) and insensitive to 3,7-dimethyl-1-(2-propargyl)-xanthine (A2 purinergic receptor antagonist). Inosine, a known purinergic A3 agonist, was also active on metabolism, but uric acid and nicotinamide were inactive. It was concluded that the metabolic and hemodynamic effects of extracellular NAD⁺ are caused mainly by interactions with purinergic receptors with a highly significant participation of its main transformation product ADP-ribose.     

Regulation of repair of naturally occurring DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes

Mouse lymphocytes have been shown to contain DNA strand breaks that were repaired within 2h of onset of culture with mitogen. Inhibitors of ADP ribosylation prevented this repair and blocked cell proliferation. The mitogen concanavalin A caused the internal concentration of NAD⁺, the substrate of the ADP ribose polymerase, to rise to about double that of resting cells within 45 min of stimulation. Addition of 300 μm nicotinamide to the culture in absence of mitogen also resulted in a similar increase in internal [NAD⁺], resulting in increased ADP ribosylation activity (measured in permeabilized cells) and in joining of DNA strand breaks; however, none of the subsequent events of lymphocyte activation such as blast transformation and DNA synthesis occurred. These findings indicate that (1) cellular [NAD⁺] is a rate limiting factor in repair of DNA strand breaks in resting lymphocytes and (2) this repair is necessary but not sufficient for lymphocyte proliferation.     

Poly(ADP-ribose): PARadigms and PARadoxes

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a posttranslational protein modification (PTM) catalyzed by members of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzyme family. PARPs use NAD⁺ as substrate and upon cleaving off nicotinamide they transfer the ADP-ribosyl moiety covalently to suitable acceptor proteins and elongate the chain by adding further ADP-ribose units to create a branched polymer, termed poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), which is rapidly degraded by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) and ADP-ribosylhydrolase 3 (ARH3). In recent years several key discoveries changed the way we look at the biological roles and mode of operation of PARylation. These paradigm shifts include but are not limited to (1) a single PARP enzyme expanding to a PARP family; (2) DNA-break dependent activation extended to several other DNA dependent and independent PARP-activation mechanisms; (3) one molecular mechanism (covalent PARylation of target proteins) underlying the biological effect of PARPs is now complemented by several other mechanisms such as protein–protein interactions, PAR signaling, modulation of NAD⁺ pools and (4) one principal biological role in DNA damage sensing expanded to numerous, diverse biological functions identifying PARP-1 as a real moonlighting protein. Here we review the most important paradigm shifts in PARylation research and also highlight some of the many controversial issues (or paradoxes) of the field such as (1) the mostly synergistic and not antagonistic biological effects of PARP-1 and PARG; (2) mitochondrial PARylation and PAR decomposition, (3) the cross-talk between PARylation and signaling pathways (protein kinases, phosphatases, calcium) and the (4) divergent roles of PARP/PARylation in longevity and in age-related diseases.     

NAMPT-derived NAD+ fuels PARP1 to promote skin inflammation through parthanatos cell death

Several studies have revealed a correlation between chronic inflammation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) metabolism, but the precise mechanism involved is unknown. Here, we report that the genetic and pharmacological inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), the rate-limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway of NAD⁺ biosynthesis, reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and keratinocyte DNA damage, hyperproliferation, and cell death in zebrafish models of chronic skin inflammation, while all these effects were reversed by NAD⁺ supplementation. Similarly, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase 1 (Parp1), overexpression of PAR glycohydrolase, inhibition of apoptosis-inducing factor 1, inhibition of NADPH oxidases, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging all phenocopied the effects of Nampt inhibition. Pharmacological inhibition of NADPH oxidases/NAMPT/PARP/AIFM1 axis decreased the expression of pathology-associated genes in human organotypic 3D skin models of psoriasis. Consistently, an aberrant induction of NAMPT and PARP activity, together with AIFM1 nuclear translocation, was observed in lesional skin from psoriasis patients. In conclusion, hyperactivation of PARP1 in response to ROS-induced DNA damage, fueled by NAMPT-derived NAD⁺, mediates skin inflammation through parthanatos cell death.

A study of chronic skin inflammation reveals that hyperactivation of PARP1 in response to ROS-induced DNA damage, fueled by NAMPT-derived NAD+, mediates skin inflammation via parthanatos cell death, identifying NAMPT, PARP1 and AIFM1 as novel therapeutic targets for psoriasis.

Highlights

• Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibition alleviates inflammation in zebrafish and human organotypic 3D skin models of psoriasis.
• NADPH oxidase–derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate keratinocyte DNA damage and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) overactivation.
• Inhibition of parthanatos cell death phenocopies the effects of NAMPT inhibition in zebrafish and human psoriasis models.
• NAMPT and poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) metabolism is altered in psoriasis patients.

     

Tankyrase-1 overexpression reduces genotoxin-induced cell death by inhibiting PARP1

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases or PARPs are a family of NAD⁺-dependent enzymes that modify themselves and other substrate proteins with ADP-ribose polymers. The founding member PARP1 is localized predominantly in the nucleus and is activated by binding to DNA lesions. Excessive PARP1 activation following genotoxin treatment causes NAD⁺ depletion and cell death, whereas pharmacological PARP1 inhibition protects cells from genotoxicity. This study investigates whether cellular viability and NAD⁺ metabolism are regulated by tankyrase-1, a PARP member localized predominantly in the cytosol. Using a tetracycline-sensitive promoter to regulate tankyrase-1 expression in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, we found that a 40-fold induction of tankyrase-1 (from 1500 to 60,000 copies per cell) lowers steady-state NAD⁺ levels but does not affect basal cellular viability. Moreover, the induction confers protection against the oxidative agent H₂O₂ and the alkylating agent MNNG, genotoxins that kill cells by activating PARP1. The cytoprotective effect of tankyrase-1 is not due to enhanced scavenging of oxidants or altered expression of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic molecule previously shown to be down-regulated by tankyrase-1 in CHO cells. Instead, tankyrase-1 appears to protect cells by preventing genotoxins from activating PARP1-mediated reactions such as PARP1 automodification and NAD⁺ consumption. Our findings therefore indicate a cytoprotective function of tankyrase-1 mediated through altered NAD⁺ homeostasis and inhibition of PARP1 function.     

Inhibition of ADP-ribosylation of histone by diadenosine 5', 5"' -p (1), p(4)-tetraphosphate

Diadenosine 5′, 5?-p¹, p⁴-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) strongly inhibited ADP-ribosylation reaction of histone by purified bovine thymus poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. This compound showed a relatively weak inhibitory effect on Mg²⁺-dependent, enzyme-bound poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. Among various adenine nucleotides tested, including several diadenosine nucleotides with varying phosphate chain length, Ap4A was the most effective inhibitor of the histone-modification reaction. Ap5A and Ap6A showed slightly lower inhibitory effect than Ap4A. Kinetic analysis of the inhibitor (Ap4A) with varying concentration of substrate (NAD⁺) revealed that this compound is a “mixed type inhibitor”, with a Ki value of 5.1 μM.     

Parp mutations protect from mitochondrial toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease associated with the accumulation of a toxic form of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides are linked to mitochondrial impairment. The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is essential for both mitochondrial bioenergetics and nuclear DNA repair through NAD⁺-consuming poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). Here we analysed the metabolomic changes in flies overexpressing Aβ and showed a decrease of metabolites associated with nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, which is critical for mitochondrial function in neurons. We show that increasing the bioavailability of NAD⁺ protects against Aβ toxicity. Pharmacological supplementation using NAM, a form of vitamin B that acts as a precursor for NAD⁺ or a genetic mutation of PARP rescues mitochondrial defects, protects neurons against degeneration and reduces behavioural impairments in a fly model of Alzheimer’s disease. Next, we looked at links between PARP polymorphisms and vitamin B intake in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We show that polymorphisms in the human PARP1 gene or the intake of vitamin B are associated with a decrease in the risk and severity of Alzheimer’s disease. We suggest that enhancing the availability of NAD⁺ by either vitamin B supplements or the inhibition of NAD⁺-dependent enzymes such as PARPs are potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.Subject terms: Metabolomics, Cell death in the nervous system, Alzheimer''s disease     

Identification of small-molecule urea derivatives as novel NAMPT inhibitors via pharmacophore-based virtual screening

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) catalyzes the condensation of nicotinamide (NAM) with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-prophosphate (PRPP) to yield nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a rate limiting enzyme in a mammalian salvage pathway of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) synthesis. Recently, intracellular NAD⁺ has received substantial attention due to the recent discovery that several enzymes including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), mono(ADP-ribose) transferases (ARTs), and sirtuins (SIRTs), use NAD⁺ as a substrate, suggesting that intracellular NAD⁺ level may regulate cytokine production, metabolism, and aging through these enzymes. NAMPT is found to be upregulated in various types of cancer, and given its importance in the NAD⁺ salvage pathway, NAMPT is considered as an attractive target for the development of new cancer therapies. In this study, the reported NAMPT inhibitors bearing amide, cyanoguanidine, and urea scaffolds were used to generate pharmacophore models and pharmacophore-based virtual screening studies were performed against ZINC database. Following the filtering steps, ten hits were identified and evaluated for their in vitro NAMPT inhibitory effects. Compounds GF4 (NAMPT IC₅₀ = 2.15 ± 0.22 μM) and GF8 (NAMPT IC₅₀ = 7.31 ± 1.59 μM) were identified as new urea-typed inhibitors of NAMPT which also displayed cytotoxic activities against human HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line with IC₅₀ values of 15.20 ± 1.28 and 24.28 ± 6.74 μM, respectively.     

Interaction of DNA topoisomerase 1 with DNA intermediates and proteins of base excision repair

The interaction of human recombinant DNA topoisomerase 1 (Top1) with linear and circular DNA structures containing a nick or short gap but lacking a specific Top1 recognition site was studied. The effect of key excision repair proteins on formation of the Top1 covalent adduct with the DNA repair intermediates was shown. Partial inhibition of the Top1-DNA-adduct formation upon addition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 in the absence of NAD⁺ was shown, whereas in the presence of NAD⁺ formation of a high molecular weight product, most likely corresponding to poly(ADP)-ribosylated Top1-DNA adduct, was observed. The data show that the key base excision repair proteins can influence formation of suicide Top1-DNA adducts. Top1 was identified by immunoprecipitation in the bovine testis nuclear extract as the protein forming the main modification product with nick-containing DNA.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Cleavage during Apoptosis: When and Where?

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) plays the active role of “nick sensor” during DNA repair and apoptosis, when it synthesizes ADP-ribose from NAD⁺ in the presence of DNA strand breaks. Moreover, PARP-1 becomes a target of apoptotic caspases, which originate two proteolytic fragments of 89 and 24 kDa. The precise relationship between PARP-1 activation and degradation during apoptosis is still a matter of debate. In human Hep-2 cells driven to apoptosis by actinomycin D, we have monitored PARP-1 activity by the mAb 10H, which is specific for the ADP-ribose polymers, and we have observed that poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis is a very early response to the apoptotic stimulus. The analysis of the presence and fate of the p89 proteolytic fragment revealed that PARP-1 proteolysis by caspases is concomitant with poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis and that p89 migrates from the nucleus into the cytoplasm in late apoptotic cells with advanced nuclear fragmentation.     

NAD+ is not utilized as a co-factor for DNA ligation by human DNA ligase IV

As nucleotidyl transferases, formation of a covalent enzyme-adenylate intermediate is a common first step of all DNA ligases. While it has been shown that eukaryotic DNA ligases utilize ATP as the adenylation donor, it was recently reported that human DNA ligase IV can also utilize NAD⁺ and, to a lesser extent ADP-ribose, as the source of the adenylate group and that NAD⁺, unlike ATP, enhances ligation by supporting multiple catalytic cycles. Since this unexpected finding has significant implications for our understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of DNA double strand break repair, we attempted to confirm that NAD⁺ and ADP-ribose can be used as co-factors by human DNA ligase IV. Here, we provide evidence that NAD⁺ does not enhance ligation by pre-adenylated DNA ligase IV, indicating that this co-factor is not utilized for re-adenylation and subsequent cycles of ligation. Moreover, we find that ligation by de-adenylated DNA ligase IV is dependent upon ATP not NAD⁺ or ADP-ribose. Thus, we conclude that human DNA ligase IV cannot use either NAD⁺ or ADP-ribose as adenylation donor for ligation.     

In-situ analysis of cellular poly(ADP-ribose) production in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma cells

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also called prion diseases, are characterized by formation of the disease-associated isoform of prion protein (PrP^Sc), which arises from a normal isoform termed PrP^c by a post-translational conversion process occurring in an autocatalytic fashion. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a pathogenetic mechanism in TSEs and increased lipid peroxidation has recently been described in prion-infected cell cultures, suggesting an intrinsic link between the presence of prions and oxidative stress. We investigated if poly(ADP-ribose) formation can be detected in cultured cells upon prion infection, as this NAD⁺-consuming and DNA strand break-activated nuclear enzymatic reaction has the potential to cause rapid and lethal NAD⁺ depletion in cells under severe oxidative stress. Poly(ADP-ribose) production was analysed by immunofluorescence in freshly scrapie-infected Neuro2a–D11 mouse neuroblastoma cells, which had been confirmed by immunocytochemistry to produce PrP^Sc, and in uninfected controls. No spontaneous poly(ADP-ribose) specific signals were observed in infected or in uninfected cells, while both cell types readily reacted to H₂O₂ treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, with no obvious difference in staining intensity at any dose tested. In summary, our data reveal that replication of scrapie agent in neuroblastoma cells can proceed without detectable stimulation of the cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation system.     

Protective effect of nicotinamide against poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1-mediated astrocyte death depends on its transporter-mediated uptake

AimPoly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a DNA repair enzyme, and its excessive activation, following ischemia, trauma, etc., depletes cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) as a substrate and eventually leads to brain cell death. Nicotinamide, an NAD⁺ precursor and a PARP-1 inhibitor, is known to prevent PARP-1-triggered cell death, but there is no available information on the mechanisms involved in its transport. Here we clarified the transport characteristics of nicotinamide in primary cultured mouse astrocytes.Main methodsUptake characteristics of [¹⁴C]nicotinamide were assessed by a conventional method with primary cultured mouse astrocytes. Cell viability and PARP-1 activity were determined with intracellular LDH activity and immunocytochemical detection of PAR accumulation, respectively.Key findingsPARP-1 activation was induced by treatment of astrocytes with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), an alkylating agent. MNNG-triggered astrocyte death and PAR accumulation were completely inhibited by treatment with nicotinamide as with DPQ (3,4-dihydro-5-(4-(1-piperidinyl)butoxy)-1(2H)-isoquinolinone), a second generation PARP inhibitor. The uptake of [¹⁴C]nicotinamide was time-, temperature-, concentration- and pH-dependent, and was inhibited and stimulated by co- and pre-treatment with N-methylnicotinamide, a representative substrate of an organic cation transport system, respectively. Co-treatment of astrocytes with nicotinamide and N-methylnicotinamide resulted in a decrease in PAR accumulation and absolute prevention of cell death.SignificanceThese findings suggest that nicotinamide has a protective effect against PARP-1-induced astrocyte death and that its transporter-mediated uptake, which is extracellular pH-sensitive and common to N-methylnicotinamide, is critical for prevention of PARP-1-triggered cell death.