烟酰胺-N-甲基转移酶(nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, NNMT)利用S-腺苷甲硫氨酸作为甲基供体,将烟酰胺转变为1-甲基烟酰胺。NNMT 在肝脏组织、脂肪组织和某些癌组织中高表达,并在神经退行性疾病、肥胖和糖尿病患者的特定细胞中也呈现表达增加的趋势,因而国内外对NNMT的关注度上升。本文概述了NNMT在癌细胞迁移和侵袭、耐药性、凋亡、自噬等方面的作用,并对相关上下游的分子通路进行综述。

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) converts nicotinamide (NAM) to 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) using S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as a methyl donor. NNMT has recently attracted increasing attention as it is highly expressed in liver tissues, adipose tissues and certain cancer tissues, and also exhibits increased expression in specific cells of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, obesity and diabetes. This article provides an overview of the role and associated upstream and downstream molecular pathways of NNMT in cancer cell migration and invasion, drug resistance, apoptosis, and autophagy, in an attempt to facilitate better understanding of the function and molecular mechanisms of NNMT in cancer initiation and progression.