nicotinamide-beta-riboside and tiazofurin

NAD+ is essential for life in all organisms, both as a coenzyme for oxidoreductases and as a source of ADPribosyl groups used in various reactions, including those that retard aging in experimental systems. Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide were defined as the vitamin precursors of NAD+ in Elvehjem's classic discoveries of the 1930s. The accepted view of eukaryotic NAD+ biosynthesis, that all anabolism flows through nicotinic acid mononucleotide, was challenged experimentally and revealed that nicotinamide riboside is an unanticipated NAD+ precursor in yeast. Nicotinamide riboside kinases from yeast and humans essential for this pathway were identified and found to be highly specific for phosphorylation of nicotinamide riboside and the cancer drug tiazofurin. Nicotinamide riboside was discovered as a nutrient in milk, suggesting that nicotinamide riboside is a useful compound for elevation of NAD+ levels in humans.

Topics: Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9; Energy Metabolism; Evolution, Molecular; Fungi; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Humans; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; NAD; Niacinamide; Nucleosides; Phosphorylation; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Pyridinium Compounds; Ribavirin; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

Oncolytic C-nucleosides, tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide) and benzamide riboside (3-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzamide) are converted in cell into active metabolites thiazole-4-carboxamide- and benzamide adenine dinucleotide, TAD and BAD, respectively. TAD and BAD as NAD analogues were found to bind at the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (cofactor NAD) site of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), an important target in cancer treatment. The synthesis and evaluation of anticancer activity of a number of C-nucleosides related to tiazofurin and nicotinamide riboside then followed and are reviewed herein. Interestingly, pyridine C-nucleosides (such as C-nicotinamide riboside) are not metabolized into the corresponding NAD analogues in cell. Their conversion by chemical methods is described. As dinucleotides these compounds show inhibition of IMPDH in low micromolar level. Also, the synthesis of BAD in metabolically stable bis(phosphonate) form is discussed indicating the usefulness of such preformed inhibitors in drug development. Among tiazofurin analogues, Franchetti and Grifantini found, that the replacement of the sulfur by oxygen (as in oxazafurin) but not the removal of nitrogen (tiophenfurin) of the thiazole ring resulted in inactive compounds. The anti cancer activity of their synthetic dinucleotide analogues indicate that inactive compounds are not only poorly metabolized in cell but also are weak inhibitors of IMPDH as dinucleotides.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Survival; Humans; IMP Dehydrogenase; NAD; Niacinamide; Organoselenium Compounds; Pyridinium Compounds; Ribavirin; Ribonucleosides; Ribonucleotides; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The growth inhibitory activity of tiazofurin toward adenosine kinase deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was partially reversed by the presence of nicotinamide riboside. Similarly, the formation of tiazofurin 5'-monophosphate and the active metabolite, tiazofurin 5'-adenine dinucleotide could be partially inhibited by 100 microM nicotinamide riboside in CHO cells and substantially inhibited (80-90%) in adenosine kinase deficient cells. Tiazofurin phosphorylating activity from CHO cell extracts was resolved into two peaks by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The first peak of activity was identified as adenosine kinase (ATP:adenosine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.20). The second peak of activity correlated with a previously described 3-deazaguanosine phosphorylating activity that was identified as a nicotinamide ribonucleoside kinase. Contaminating purine nucleoside phosphorylase was removed by sedimentation through a sucrose density gradient which also resolved the tiazofurin phosphorylating activity into two peaks, one requiring just ATP and the other requiring both ATP and IMP. Of the substrates tested with the lower density peak, nicotinamide riboside was most efficient and was the only natural substance that competed well with tiazofurin for phosphorylation, substantiating its suggested identity as a nicotinamide ribonucleoside kinase. The apparent Km value for nicotinamide riboside (2 microM) was significantly less than that for tiazofurin (13.6 microM). ATP was the best phosphate donor; CTP and UTP were utilized less efficiently and IMP did not support the reaction. The best substrate for the higher density peak of tiazofurin phosphorylation was inosine and both ATP and IMP were required for the reaction, suggesting its identity as a 5'-nucleotidase. In summary, it appears that adenosine kinase, nicotinamide ribonucleoside kinase, and 5'-nucleotidase may all contribute to the phosphorylation of tiazofurin in CHO cells.

Topics: Adenosine Kinase; Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Biotransformation; Cell Line; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Female; Inosine Monophosphate; Kinetics; Niacinamide; Ovary; Phosphorylation; Pyridinium Compounds; Ribavirin; Ribonucleosides