Study summary · research use only
SLC25A51 is a mammalian mitochondrial NAD(+) transporter
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
In this study of mammalian mitochondria (with comparisons to yeast and plants), researchers investigated whether mitochondria can import NAD+ directly and identified SLC25A51 (also known as MCART1) as a mammalian mitochondrial NAD+ transporter. The abstract reports that loss of SLC25A51 decreased mitochondrial but not whole-cell NAD+ content, impaired mitochondrial respiration, and blocked NAD+ uptake into isolated mitochondria, while overexpression of SLC25A51 or its close paralogue SLC25A52 increased mitochondrial NAD+ levels and restored NAD+ uptake into yeast mitochondria that lacked endogenous NAD+ transporters.
Abstract
Mitochondria require nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to carry out the fundamental processes that fuel respiration and mediate cellular energy transduction. Mitochondrial NAD+ transporters have been identified in yeast and plants1,2, but their existence in mammals remains controversial3-5. Here we demonstrate that mammalian mitochondria can take up intact NAD+, and identify SLC25A51 (also known as MCART1)-an essential6,7 mitochondrial protein of previously unknown function-as a mammalian mitochondrial NAD+ transporter. Loss of SLC25A51 decreases mitochondrial-but not whole-cell-NAD+ content, impairs mitochondrial respiration, and blocks the uptake of NAD+ into isolated mitochondria. Conversely, overexpression of SLC25A51 or SLC25A52 (a nearly identical paralogue of SLC25A51) increases mitochondrial NAD+ levels and restores NAD+ uptake into yeast mitochondria lacking endogenous NAD+ transporters. Together, these findings identify SLC25A51 as a mammalian transporter capable of importing NAD+ into mitochondria.
pepmg summarizes the peer-reviewed literature and links to every source — it sells nothing, ships nothing, and gives no medical, dosing, or human-use guidance. Don't just trust this summary: follow the citation to its source and read it yourself. Research use only.