Extending the Scope of 1H NMR Spectroscopy for the Analysis of Cellular Coenzyme A and Acetyl Coenzyme A

Coenzyme A (CoA) and acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) are ubiquitous cellular molecules, which mediate hundreds of anabolic and catabolic reactions including energy metabolism. Highly sensitive methods including absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry enable their analysis, albeit with many limitations. To date, however, NMR spectroscopy has not been used to analyze these important molecules. Building on our recent efforts, which enabled simultaneous analysis of a large number of metabolites in tissue and blood including many coenzymes and antioxidants (Anal. Chem. 2016, 88, 4817-24; ibid 2017, 89, 4620-4627), we describe here a new method for identification and quantitation of CoA and acetyl-CoA ex vivo in tissue. Using mouse heart, kidney, liver, brain, and skeletal tissue, we show that a simple H-1 NMR experiment can simultaneously measure these molecules. Identification of the two species involved a comprehensive analysis of the different tissue types using 1D and 2D NMR, in combination with spectral databases for standards, as well as spiking with authentic compounds. Time dependent studies showed that while the acetyl-CoA levels remain unaltered, CoA levels diminish by more than 50% within 24 h, which indicates that CoA is labile in solution; however, degassing the sample with helium gas halted its oxidation. Further, interestingly, we also identified endogenous coenzyme A glutathione disulfide (CoA-S-S-G) in tissue for the first time by NMR and show that CoA, when oxidized in tissue extract, also forms the same disulfide metabolite. The ability to simultaneously visualize absolute concentrations of CoA, acetyl-CoA, and endogenous CoA S S G along with redox coenzymes (NAL(+), NADH, NADP(+), NADPH), energy coenzymes (ATP, ADP, AMP), antioxidants (GSH, GSSG), and a vast pool of other metabolites using a single 1D NMR spectrum offers a new avenue in the metabolomics field for investigation of cellular function in health and disease.