title: Nampt/PBEF/Visfatin: a new player in beta cell physiology and in metabolic diseases?
abstract: NAD plays an essential role in a number of biological processes. A study in this issue of Cell Metabolism (Revollo et al., 2007b) demonstrates that nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), also known as PBEF or visfatin, is a secreted enzyme and a source of systemic NAD. The authors show that Nampt-mediated NAD synthesis is necessary for beta cell function, providing fresh insights into the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Tumor Biology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yo-Ichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nabeshima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009243:NAD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009243:NAD; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase