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The activity of the key enzymes of the salvage synthesis and degradation of NAD (nicotinic acid mononucleotide pyrophosphorylase and NAD glycohydrolase) was studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants selected earlier as potential producers of NAD. An enhanced NAD-producing ability of the mutants was shown to be related to their reduced NAD-degrading activity: thus, NAD glycohydrolase in mutants 110, 118, and 206 was inactive in all growth phases regardless of the level of NAD biosynthesis.

It is shown that thiamine administration to rats (250 micrograms per 100 g of mass) who were given high-carbohydrate diet (lipogenesis intensification) after fasting inhibits an increase in the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in the liver homogenate and mitochondria usual under these conditions. This is observed when determining total activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and activity of its first component--pyruvate dehydrogenase estimated from the ferricyanide reduction and [1-14C] CO2 formation from [1-14C] pyruvate. Fasting animals and animals whom thiamine was administered against a background of lipogenesis intensification revealed a higher ability of the liver tissue to synthesize acetoin as compared with the control group and animals with the intensified lipogenesis without thiamine administration.

The possibility of thiamine phosphates to participate in the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity on the level of isolated mitochondria is studied. It is shown that an increase in the thiamine diphosphate concentration in incubation medium produces no significant changes in the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity of mitochondria. The pyruvate dehydrogenase activity decreases when mitochondria are incubated with thiamine triphosphate or ATP under different conditions. Thiamine triphosphate is not able to replace ATP in kinase reaction of the isolated complex, but it inhibits reactivation of the complex with exogenase phosphatase; under the same conditions thiamine diphosphate activates phosphatase. Analysis of these data leads to conclusion that under native conditions an increase of the intramitochondrial thiamine triphosphate concentration can produce a drop in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity by inhibition of the phosphatase reaction.

Taking into account the found earlier relation of vitamin E to the ubiquinone functioning and metabolism, the authors studied the enzymic activity of succinate dehydrogenase, NADH-dehydrogenase and cytochrome-c-oxidase--coenzyme Q binding sites of the respiratory chain of the rat liver mitochondria. The experiments were carried out with female rats who received a vitamin-E-deficient diet for 6 months. The enzymic activities and the ubiquinone content in the liver mitochondria of these animals are shown to be considerably lower as compared to the animals received a vitamin E diet; alpha-ocopherol, alpha-tocopheronolactone and ubiquinone 3h after administration manifest a clearly pronounced normalizing effect relative to both the enzymic activity and the ubiquinone content. An assumption is advanced that the effect of alpha-tocopherol and its metabolite is associated with controlling the level of functionally active ubiquinone in the mitochondria. Other mechanisms of the membrane-bound enzymes control by the compounds under study are also discussed in connection with the alpha-tocopherol effect on the mitochondrial membranes.

The contractile activity of the guinea pig taenia coli longitudinal muscle was studied as affected by exogenic thiamine, thiamine pyrophosphate and FAD. The mentioned substances in a concentration of 1 . 10(-3) M relax the smooth-muscular cells. Against a background of apamine FAD causes a contraction of taenia coli, which is not observed with application of thiaminepyrophosphate. Evidently, there are two, types of receptors sensitive to FAD and one sensitive to vitamin B1 on the membrane of the smooth-muscular cell.

The basic experimental data obtained at the Department of Coenzymes' Biochemistry of the A. V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the Ukr. SSR Academy of Sciences as to the biological role of vitamin E are analyzed. Vitamin E, selenium and methionine are found to induce peculiar changes in the activity of glutathione-peroxidase, metabolism of sulphur-containing amino acids, biosynthesis of adenine nucleotides, proteins and nucleic acids. Participation of alpha-tocopherol and its active derivatives in the control of biosynthesis and intertransformation of ubiquinone and its cyclic isomer, ubichromenol, in the animal organism, is proved, which determines to a considerable extent the biological role of vitamin E in the bioenergy processes. It is substantiated in experiments that the detected wide range of the biological effect of vitamin E is associated with the control of RNA biosynthesis. Under these conditions the effect of vitamin E on the RNA synthesis does not depend on the manifestation of antioxidant properties of its molecule and in this sense it is a specific one. The results obtained are discussed for their significance in explanation of the molecular mechanism of the vitamin E action and in substantiation of the possibility to use the results in practical medicine and animal husbandry.

Development of the methodology of biological research is considered as a reflection of integrity of the living nature unity. The ideological role of integrative processes in dialectization of biological cognition as well as the methodological function of the integrity principle in studies of the living system organization on the example of the conception of biochemical universality of the living matter are traced.

Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide inhibit in vitro the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity of partially purified enzyme from chicken liver. The incorporation of 10, 20, 50 and 100 mkmoles of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide into the incubation medium (0,9 ml) leads to the inhibition of the enzyme activity by 19, 45, 70 and 100% and by 39, 51, 60 and 78%, respectively. NADH+ and NADP+ at concentrations by one order of magnitude lower than those of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide decrease the enzyme activity in a similar manner. The constants of inhibition by the above-mentioned compounds were calculated with respect to ATP, acetyl-CoA and citrate.

The paper deals with the system of enzymic breakdown of exogenic NAD+, NADH, NADP+, NADPH in the guinea pig taenia coli. The break down of NAD, NADH is more intensive than that of NADP+ and NADPH. The enzymic breakdown occurs due to the functioning of pyrophosphatase and glycohydrolase, the latter being considerably more active.

The paper deals with generalization and a critical review of modern ideas of thiamine-binding proteins and their biological role in the vitamin transport in micro and macroorganisms. The significance of the given problem as applied to physiology and medicine is shown.

The paper deals with the modern ideas concerning pathways and mechanisms of thiamine and its phosphorylated derivatives transport in the animal cells. The data are analyzed on thiamine and its derivatives resorption by the intestnal wall, their transportation by blood and lymph and also their penetration into cells and subcellular structures. A conclusion is made that these processes occur by mechanism of active and passive transportation and simple diffusion. Realization of one or another mechanism status of the object under study.

The rate of [14C]NAD incorporation into chicken liver nuclear histones was studied under conditions of DNA damage by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and pancreatic DNAase I. With an increase in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea concentration from 8.5 X 10(-2) to 34.0 X 10(-2) mM, the ADP ribosylation of histones increases by 20% as compared to the control. In DNAase I-treated nuclei, the binding by histones of [14C]NAD sharply increases, reaching its maximum (18.3 X 10(-8) mM) at 30% cleavage of DNA. When 50% of DNA was cleaved, the rate of [14C]NAD incorporation into the histones was 8.0 X 10(-8) mM as compared to 6.1 X 10(-8) mM/mg protein in control samples. The poly(ADPR)polymerase activity was increased in both cases. It was shown that the NAD-pyrophosphorylase activity in chicken liver nuclei treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea does not differ from the control one, while in DNAase I-treated nuclei the maximum of the NAD-pyrophosphorylase activity was achieved, as well as the maximum of [14]NAD incorporation into the histones within the range of DNA damage of 25-35%, being equal to 37 X 10(-8) mM NAD/min/mg protein as compared to 26.0 X 10(-8) mM/min/mg protein in the control. At different degrees of DNA damage, the average length of the poly-ADP-ribose chain did not practically alter, thus suggesting the increase in the number of polymer binding sites in the histones.

In experiments on rats of different age it is shown that the lowest content of thiamine and its phosphoric ethers in the liver is typical of the early periods of embryonal development and the highest one of the first days after birth. A direct dependence is established between the content of thiamine, its coenzyme form, enzyme of thiamine diphosphate synthesis (thiamine pyrophosphokinase) and thiamine diphosphate-containing enzyme (transketolase) in the rat liver in different periods of ontogenesis.

The content of NAD and DNA, the activity of DNA-polymerase the velocity of NAD pyrophosphorolysis have been studied in liver nuclei of 8, 14, 18 day-old chicken embryos and 1--2 month- and 6 month-old chickens. It has been found that during ontogenesis the NAD content in chicken liver nuclei is increased, whereas the DNA content is decreased, the correlation coefficient being--0,93. The DNA-polymerase activity is the highest in the liver nuclei of 8--14 day-old embryos. During ontogenesis the DNA-polymerase activity is decreased. The excess of inorganic pyrophosphate shifts the NAD synthesis reaction to the left and activates the NAD pyrophosphorolytic degradation. During chicken ontogenesis the maximal NAD pyrophosphorolytic degradation is observed during the embrionic period.

A protein which specifically binds [3H]retinol in vitro and has a sedimentation coefficient of 2S was isolated from the soluble fraction of chicken glandular stomach intermediate zone mucosa cells and purified to homogeneity. The purification procedure included gel filtration through Sephadex G-75 and G-50 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The properties of the protein were compared to those of the retinol-binding protein from rat liver.

The article deals with the experimental data of the authors and those from literature on interrelation between NAD and DNA metabolism in hepatocytes and the role of nuclear NAD-glycohydrolase and NAD-pyrophosphorylase in these processes. Considerable attention is paid to the information on biosynthesis, structure and biochemical functions of poly(ADPR)--a new polymer formed in eucariots nuclei from NAD. The data on the effects of vitamin PP and its biologically active derivative--NAD on DNA synthesis, proliferation of cells and on their genic activity are presented and discussed from modern view points on noncoenzymatic functions of this vitamin.

A retinol-binding protein and prealbumin both in the homogeneous state are isolated from human blood serum. Immunization of rabbits is used to obtain antibodies against the retinol-binding protein; the highly specific method is developed for quantitative determination of the content of retinol-binding protein in human blood. The method may be widely applied in the biochemical and clinical practice.

The biosynthesis of fatty acids in the chicken liver was stimulated by feeding up chickens with high-carbon products. After fasting the cAMP content and protein kinase activity in chicken fall considerably as compared to the control. After administration of nicotinic acid to chicken under experiment the content of cAMP and the protein kinase activity in the liver tissue rise to the highest extent, returning to initial values by the end of the day. The maximal increase in the cAMP content and protein kinase activity coincides in time with the maximum of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity decrease. An assumption is advanced that biosynthesis of fatty acids in the liver tissue of chickens is regulated by a change in the degree of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase phosphorylation with the participation of adenylate cyclase system.

Sites of cAMP and ATP binding which regulate acetyl-CoA-carboxylase phosphorylation rate characterized under conditions of lipogenesis intensification and nicotinic acid action on this enzyme 1500 fold purified and containing proteinkinase activity. The acetyl-CoA-carboxylase preparation contains only one type of the cAMP binding sites which possess higher capacity under the action of nicotinic acid in vivo. A decrease of the cAMP binding under the conditions of lipogenesis intensification is induced by diminution of the cAMP binding site capacity without changing the binding constant value. It is established that [gamma-32P]ATP is incorporated in enzyme with Km value equal for two states under study. It this case the [gamma-32P]ATP incorporation rate is much higher for acetyl-CoA-carboxylase produced from chicken liver under the action of nicotinic acid.

Protein kinase strong-associated with acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is isolated from the liver of chicken and 300-fold purified with alimentary intensification of lipogenesis and under the effect of nicotinic acid against this background. The obtained enzymes are studied comparatively. It is found that their preparations are phosphorylated with different rate, have two pH optima and differ in the sensitivity to cAMP and to thermostable protein inhibitor. The hydrophobic chromatography was used to separate components of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase-protein kinase complex and to reveal in the chicken liver cAMP-dependent and cAMP-independent protein kinases highly specific to acetyl-CoA-carboxylase and strongly bound with it.

The paper deals with modern ideas concerning molecular mechanisms of the biosynthesis, metabolism and function of ascorbic acid as with as with its transport through the membrane structures of different extent of organization. It is emphasized that under physiological conditions a quickly saturated mechanism of ascorbic acid active transport through the biomembranes is an effective system of maintaining the acid steady-state intracellular homeostasis in animal tissues.

A reverse interrelation is established between the content of NAD and DNA in the chickens liver at different stages of ontogenetic development, especially pronounced at the stages of embryogenesis. The content of NAD which is the least in the liver of the 8-day embryos increases with development of chickens and reaches the maximum level by the 6-month age. The content of DNA is maximum in the embryonal period. The activity of NAD-pyrophosphorylase in the liver nuclei has the low value at early periods of the embryonal life and rises with development of organism, reaching the constant values in one-, two- and 6-month chickens. Judging by the curve of the NAD-glycohydrolase activity in the liver nuclei, the hydrolase breakdown of NAD occurs only after chickens hatching.

It was shown that nicotinamide and NAD inhibit the specific binding of [3H]flunitrazepam to benzdiazepine receptors without causing a direct influence of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. The GABA-benzdiazepine complex was separated by solubilization with 0.5% lubrol PX. The solubilized preparations contain the binding sites for [3H]flunitrazepam alone (Kd = 5.9 nm). The Kd value for the membrane-bound benzdiazepine receptor is 2.9 nM. NAD inhibited the specific binding of [3H]flunitrazepam to the solubilized membrane preparation when used at concentrations by several orders of magnitude lower than that of nicotinamide. Using gel filtration on Sepharose 6B-CL, the molecular mass of the soluble benzdiazepine receptor protein was determined.

Injection of thiamine (250 micrograms per 100 g of mass daily) to rats with alimentary intensification of lipogenesis decreases the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in the liver, which is accompanied by an increase in the concentration of pyruvate and drop in the level of free fatty acids. Under these conditions the content of total thiamine is 1.5 times as high. The level of thiamine pyrophosphate and thiamine triphosphate rises significantly. When all parameters were determined in dynamics after a single thiamine injection, an inverse dependence is observed between the content of thiamine phosphoric esters, thiamine triphosphate in particular, and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity.

A kinetic analysis of the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from chicken liver upon alimentary activation of lipogenesis and inhibition of this reaction by nicotinic acid was performed. It was found that the affinity of the enzyme isolated from chicken liver with stimulated lipogenesis is decreased by nicotinic acid for HCO3- but remains unchanged for ATP. The value of Vmax for ATP and the amount of the ATP used in this reaction remain unaffected. At the same time the enzyme affinity for acetyl-CoA is increased with a simultaneous decrease of Vmax. It is assumed that nicotinic acid inhibits the first step of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase-catalyzed reaction.

The effect of thiamine triphosphate (ThTP) and thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) on the activity of rat liver pyruvate dehydrogenase complex regulatory enzymes (kinase and phosphatase) was studied in experiments with isolated enzyme preparations. It is shown that ThDP caused a pronounced activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (Ka is equal to 65.0 nM). ThTP inhibits phosphatase competitively against the substrate--the phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. The both thiamine phosphates inhibit the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity almost similarly in concentrations exceeding 10 microM. The physiological significance of the antagonistic action of ThDP and ThTP on the pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase activity is discussed.

Data on the biochemical function of selenium in animal and human organism are generalized from the view point of its participation in the active centre of glutathione peroxidase and its general anabolic effect. Now it is assumed that many chronical human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular insufficiency, atherosclerosis, pancreas insufficiency and other may be connected with selenium deficiency in human nutrition. A problem is considered on ecological and endogenous factors controlling the availability of selenium in animals. Among them the dominant role of neurohumoral regulation is emphasized and several problem, particularly in the direction of well grounded application of its low-toxic preparations to medicine, is stressed.

An addition of alpha-tocopherol (I) and its synthetic derivatives (alpha-tocopheryl quinone (II), its short-chained analog (III), alpha-tocopherol lactone (IV), and short-chained alpha-tocopheryl acetate (V)) to the homogenized liver of vitamin E deficient rats resulted in a significant increase of ubiquinone after 2 hour incubation. Activity of the above derivatives (II-V) was not associated directly with their transformation into I or with a noticeable increase of the I content. There is a certain correlation between the chemical structure and the level of vitamin E activity of alpha-tocopherol derivatives that led to an increase in the ubiquinone content and prevented the decrease of tissue respiration and termination of pregnancy in rats.

Nicotinic acid in vivo affects the citrate demand for acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activation in the chicken liver under conditions of alimentary lipogenesis stimulation. Stoichiometry of the citrate binding with the dissociation constant of the enzyme-allosteric activator complex is determined under experimental conditions. Endogenic phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase completely correlates with its inactivation and depends on the citrate level. cAMP is established to have an activating effect on phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase of test animals.

A thiamine-binding protein (ThBP) with a specific activity of 8.21 nmoles/mg protein was isolated from rat brain synaptosomes by affinity chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The protein was purified 746-fold with a 40.5% yield. ThBP was homogeneous during sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis; its molecular mass was determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and was equal to 107 and 103 kD, respectively. The pH optimum for the binding is 8.35. When the ability of ThBP to bind thiamine phosphates was tested, the latter decreased in the following order: thiamine monophosphate greater than thiamine triphosphate greater than greater than thiamine diphosphate.

Acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is isolated and purified to a homogeneous state from the chicken liver with alimentary lipogenesis stimulation. Under the action of nicotinic acid in vivo the specific enzyme activity is shown to decrease considerably followed by some variations in its properties. According to the results obtained during ultracentrifugation and PAAG electrophoresis nicotinic acid causes partial enzyme deaggregation with simultaneous increase of its phosphorylation. The latter is accompanied by a rise in the content of phosphate labile to alkali on acetyl-CoA-carboxylase subunits. Nicotinic acid in vivo has practically no effect on acetyl-CoA-carboxylase synthesis and decay rate. Its inhibiting action is induced by stimulation of enzyme phosphorylation.

The paper is concerned with the main stages of scientific activity of R.V. Chagovets (1904-1982). Member Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR in the field of biochemistry of muscles, metabolism and biochemical functions of vitamins and their derivatives. The creative heredity of the scientist served as a theoretical ground of the present-day vitaminology, base for development of the nutrition theory, practical recommendations and suggestions in public health and husbandry opened the pathways for experimental solution of the problems concerning vitamin and coenzyme metabolism regulation, elucidation of molecular mechanisms of vitamin and coenzyme functioning in the cell.

The in vivo experiments established that isobutyl methyl xanthine inhibits phosphodiesterase activity and activates adenylate cyclase in the skeletal muscles and myocardium. The preparation prevents phosphodiesterase activity from increasing due to physical exercises. Against a background of the latter it activates adenylate cyclase and prevents the cAMP level from declining in skeletal muscles. In the myocardium this effect of isobutyl methyl xanthine is less pronounced.

The rate of incorporation of nicotinamide-[adenosine-U-14C]adenine dinucleotide [( Ado-U-14C]NAD) into histones and the poly(ADPR) polymerase activity of chromatin suggest that the NAD-dependent ADP-ribosylation of histones depends on the rate of NAD hydrolysis by glycohydrolase in chicken liver nuclei. With a rise in the NAD-glycohydrolase activity after treatment of nuclei with Triton X-100 the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) via the poly(ADPR)polymerase reaction is augmented, as a result of which the rate of [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into total histones is increased. On the contrary, the decrease of NAD-glycohydrolase hydrolysis after treatment of nuclei with SDS lowers the poly(ADPR)polymerase activity and [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into histones. Under these conditions, i. e. different rates of glycohydrolase hydrolysis of NAD in the nuclei, some redistribution of [Ado U-14C]NAD incorporation into individual histones occurs.

The binding of [14C]NAD to rat brain synaptic membranes is reversible and depends on incubation time, temperature and protein concentration in the reaction mixture. The value of the rate constant for [14C]NAD binding to the synaptic membranes at 24 degrees C (kl) is 1.1 X 10(-6) M-1 S-1, the rate constant for dissociation of the [14C]NAD-receptor complex (k-1) is 3.3 X 10(-3) S-1. The value of the constant for the ligand dissociation from this complex (Kd) is 3.0 nmole. Treatment of the experimental results in the Scatchard plots for the equilibrium binding of [14C]NAD to the synaptic membranes demonstrated that the receptor sites with high and low affinities for the ligand (Kd1 = 3.3 nmol, Kd2 = 14.4 nmole) and with binding capacities of 44 and 77 pmole of [14C]NAD, respectively. It was found that the synaptosomal membrane components which bind the labelled NAD have a protein nature. Data from [14C]NAD and [nicotinamide-3H]NAD binding suggest that brain synaptic membranes bind NAD at the nicotinamide and adenylic moieties.

A Golgi-rich fraction has been isolated from the chicken glandular stomach mucosa cells and characterized. Interaction of the [3H]retinol--cellular retinol-binding protein complex with Golgi-rich fraction is shown. The uptake process is specific and saturable. Free retinol does not penetrate to a Golgi-rich fraction. An assumption is advanced that retinol-binding protein is involved in the transport of retinol to various cell particles, in particular, to the Golgi apparatus.

Stimulation of fatty acid biosynthesis by feeding high-carbohydrate diet to chickens after fasting induces a 38% and 23% rise in the 3':5'-cyclo-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase activities in the liver tissue, respectively. Administration of nicotinic acid (150 mg per 1 kg of weight) to chickens with stimulated biosynthesis of fatty acids leads to a sharp (70% at an average) decrease of 3':5'-cyclo-nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity, the adenylate cyclase activity under these conditions remains practically unchanged. The participation of the adenylate cyclase system in regulating the fatty acid biosynthesis under mentioned conditions, the role of phosphodiesterase are discussed.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase and ATP-citrate(pro-3S)lyase activity in the liver after administration of nicotinic acid to chickens against a background of stimulated lypogenesis is shown to increase in the period of maximum fall of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity. Affinity of ATP-citrate (pro-3S)-lyase to citrate at this time is lowered, the content of citrate and isocitrate is elevated and CoASac is decreased to some extent. A conclusion is made on the absence of substrate limitation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase with administration of nicotinic acid to chickens under conditions of the fatty acid biosynthesis intensification.

An intensified synthesis of glucose is observed in gluconeogenesis from endogenous precursor only for the first 30 min of perfusion. Pyruvate introduction into the medium raises phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activities in the liver and determines maintenance of the glucose formation high rate for 90 min of perfusion. 1,3-butanediol is found to have a stimulating effect on gluconeogenesis from pyruvate. Introduction of 1,3 bytanediol into perfusate decreases the redox state of free NAD-pairs, increases the content of phosphoenolpyruvate, malate. ATP and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and fructose-1.6-diphosphatase activity in the perfused liver.

The paper deals with the analysis of data available in literature and those of the authors' own investigations concerning the structure, properties and regulation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase. Nicotinic acid is one of the factors regulating the enzyme activity in the animal liver. It inhibits the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity through two mechanisms--allosteric regulation and covalent modification. A comparative characteristic of the studied enzyme preparations has shown that administration of nicotinic acid to animals leads to phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase which affects its structure. A complex with homogenic acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is found to contain cAMP-independent and cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The phosphorylation is controlled by citrate competing with nicotinic acid for the coupling sites.

It is shown that in the rehabilitation period after a single long physical load the adenylate cyclase activity and cAMP content in the skeletal muscle are low and normalize by the 48th and 36th h, respectively. These indices in the myocardium in the nearest rehabilitation period increase considerably, gradually normalizing by 24th and 48th h, respectively. Immobilized epinephrine accelerates normalization of the adenylate cyclase activity and cAMP content in the skeletal muscle and in myocardium in the rehabilitation period after physical load, the phosphodiesterase activity being unchanged.

The dependence of ADP-ribosylation of chicken liver nuclear histones on NAD concentration in the nuclei was studied under conditions of stimulation of coenzyme synthesis by the nicotinamide and nicotinic acid as well as upon addition of various concentrations of the [Ado-U-14C]NAD nuclei to the incubation mixture. In the first case, the rate of [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into the histones was decreased due to the dilution of the label by the de novo synthesized NAD. The amount of the latter formed under effects of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide increased, correspondingly, from 2,2 X 10(-5) mmol up to 4.1 X 10(-5) and 7.0 X 10(-5) mmol per mg of nuclear protein. The incorporation of [Ado-U-14C]NAD into the histones decreased from 12.0 X 10(-8) mmol after incubation of liver slides with nicotinic acid and nicotinamide down to 8.0 X 10(-8) and 7.0 X 10(-8) mmol, respectively. With a rise in the concentration of exogenous [Ado-U-14C]NAD, the level of ADP-ribosylation of nuclear histones increased, the plot [14C]NAD incorporation at the labeled coenzyme concentration of 25 X 10(-7) mM/mg of histone had a plateau. Changes in the labeled substrate concentration brought about corresponding changes in the average length of the histone-linked poly-(ADP-ribose) chain.