Submitochondrial localization of the NAD+ glycohydrolase. Implications for the role of pyridine nucleotide hydrolysis in mitochondrial calcium fluxes.

The submitochondrial location of the NAD+ glycohydrolase (NADase) and its role in mitochondrial ADP-ribosyl transfer reactions were investigated in isolated rat liver mitochondria. The NADase catalyzes the hydrolysis of NAD+ to ADP-ribose and nicotinamide. Hydrolysis of intramitochondrial NAD+ has been suggested to be the first step in a nonenzymatic mono(ADP-ribosylation) by free ADP-ribose of an inner membrane-associated acceptor peptide and that this protein is involved in regulating calcium efflux from mitochondria during exposure to oxidants. The results of the present study indicate that mitochondrial NADase activity lies outside the matrix space, however. This was determined by assessing the rates of hydrolysis of externally added NAD+ by intact mitochondria and comparing these rates with those obtained when the mitochondria were permeabilized with detergent. No significant difference was observed in the rate of NAD+ hydrolysis when detergent was added indicating that NAD+ hydrolysis by mitochondria does not necessitate its access to the matrix space. The submitochondrial location of the NADase was investigated further by digitonin titration of isolated mitochondria. Digitonin titration of the mitochondria released NADase activity with the outer membrane marker, monoamine oxidase. The digitonin titration data also suggest that the outer membrane is the exclusive location of the NADase. The incorporation of radioactive label derived from [3H]NAD+ into submitochondrial particles proceeds at comparable rates in the absence or presence of NADase activity, indicating that the production of free ADP-ribose is not necessary for intramitochondrial ADP-ribosyl transfer reactions. Thus the conclusions of this study suggest that due to the submitochondrial location of the NADase, it does not participate in intramitochondrial pyridine nucleotide hydrolysis or nonenzymatic mono(ADP-ribosylation) during oxidative stress in mitochondria.