Intermolecular interactions of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in solution*

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD$^{+}$/NADH) is a coenzyme involved in cellular respiration as an electron transporter. In aqueous solution, the molecule exhibits a folding transition characterized by the stacking of its aromatic moieties. A transition to an unfolded conformation is possible using chemical denaturants like methanol. Because the reduced NADH form is fluorescent, the folding transition can be monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy, e.g., via a blue-shift in the UV-excited emission peak upon methanol unfolding. Here we present evidence of interactions between NADH molecules in solution. We measure the excited-state emission from NADH at various concentrations (1-100 $\mu $M in MOPS buffer, pH 7.5; 337-nm wavelength excitation). Unlike for the folded form, the emission peak wavelength of the unfolded form is concentration dependent, exhibiting a red-shift with higher NADH concentration, suggesting the presence of intermolecular interactions. An understanding of NADH spectra in solution would assist in interpreting intercellular NADH measurements used for the \textit{in vivo} monitoring cellular energy metabolism.