Self-inactivation of an erythrocyte NAD glycohydrolase

NAD glycohydrolase activity was studied using bovine erythrocytes, erythrocyte ghosts and partially purified enzyme preparations. During catalysis the enzyme becomes irreversibly inactivated in a process related to substrate turnover. Self-inactivation was observed with intact cells, ghosts and solubilized enzyme and could be demonstrated with NAD, NADP and nicotinamide 1,N6 ethenoadenine dinucleotide as substrates. Thionicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and NADH, which are not substrates for the enzyme, do not inactivate but are reversible substrate-competitive inhibitors. Added thiols had no effect on enzyme self-inactivation. Of the reaction products, added nicotinamide partially protected the enzyme while added ADPR had no effect. Thermodynamic parameters calculated from Arrhenius plots for rate constants of self-inactivation indicate a large negative delta S for transition state formation suggesting a process other than extensive denaturation. Erythrocyte ghost NADases from several other mammalian sources have been demonstrated to undergo a self-inactivation similar to that observed with the bovine enzyme.