NAD+
NAD+ is a helper molecule (a coenzyme) found in every living cell, built from two nucleotides. It is not a peptide.
Where it came from
In 1906, Arthur Harden and William John Young at the Lister Institute in London noticed that yeast juice could only ferment sugar with the help of a small substance that survived boiling. It was the first coenzyme ever found: a helper molecule that enzymes need to do their job.
Hans von Euler-Chelpin in Stockholm later worked out what it was. Harden and von Euler-Chelpin shared the 1929 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on fermentation.
Worth knowing
- NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. The plus sign marks the form that is ready to pick up hydrogen; once it has, it is called NADH.
- Before chemists settled on NAD, it went by cozymase, coenzyme I and DPN.
- In 1936 Otto Warburg showed where the action happens: one specific ring in the molecule, the nicotinamide part, picks up and lets go of hydrogen.
- It is not actually a peptide. It is built from two nucleotides, the same kind of units that make up DNA and RNA, joined together.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Chemical formula | C21H27N7O14P2 |
| Weight of one molecule | 663.4 g/mol |
| Form | Freeze-dried powder |
| Storage | Sealed in a freezer at -20 °C, away from light |
Weight is shown in grams per mole (g/mol), the standard unit chemists use. It's the number a lab checks a sample against to confirm it's the right compound.
Lab reports
Every batch (called a lot) of NAD+ is tested by an independent lab. The report shows the lab, the test date, the lot number, how pure the sample is and how much is in the vial. Find them on the Certificates of Analysis page. New to lab reports? Start with How to read a peptide lab report.
The weight above is for the compound on its own. A report may show a slightly higher figure, because the powder also carries a little salt left from manufacturing. Peptide salt forms explains why.
Storage
Keep the vial sealed in a freezer at -20 °C, away from light, and let it warm to room temperature before opening so moisture doesn't get in. More in Storing lyophilized (freeze-dried) peptides in the lab and the Research handling guidelines.
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.