Reversible,electrochemical interconversion of NADH and NAD+ by the catalytic (Ilambda) subcomplex of mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I)

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the first enzyme of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and catalyzes the oxidation of beta-NADH by ubiquinone, coupled to transmembrane proton translocation. It contains a flavin mononucleotide (FMN) at the active site for NADH oxidation, up to eight iron-sulfur (FeS) clusters, and at least one ubiquinone binding site. Little is known about the mechanism of coupled electron-proton transfer in complex I. This communication demonstrates how the catalytic fragment of complex I, subcomplex Ilambda, can be adsorbed onto a pyrolytic graphite edge electrode to catalyze the interconversion of NADH and NAD+, with the electrode as the electron acceptor or donor. NADH oxidation and NAD+ reduction are completely reversible and occur without the application of an overpotential. The potential of zero current denotes the potential of the NAD+/NADH redox couple, and the dependence of ENAD+ on pH, and on the NADH:NAD+ ratio, is in accordance with the Nernst equation. The catalytic potential of the enzyme, Ecat, is close to one of the two reduction potentials of the active site FMN and to the potential of a nearby [2Fe - 2S] cluster; therefore, either one or both of these redox couples is suggested to be important in controlling NADH oxidation by complex I.     

Platinum nanoparticles have an activity similar to mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase

This study was designed to examine if platinum nanoparticles have an activity similar to mitochondrial complex I, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase. Platinum nanoparticles were prepared by a citrate reduction of H(2)PtCl(6) and protected by citrate itself and pectin (CP-Pt). Time- and dose-dependent decreases in NADH and a time-dependent increase in NAD(+) were observed in the presence of 50muM CP-Pt; these observations were made using a spectrophotometric method in which the maximum absorption spectra at 340 and 260nm were used for NADH and NAD(+), respectively. The required platinum concentration in CP-Pt to achieve a 50% oxidation of NADH for 3h was approximately 20muM, and this NADH oxidation did not require oxygen as an electron acceptor. We also verified NAD(+) formation using an NAD(+)/NADH quantification kit. The absorption peak shift from 278 to 284nm of 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (CoQ(1)) was observed by incubating CoQ(1) with CP-Pt in an aqueous buffer. A further analysis with HPLC revealed the reduction of CoQ(1) to CoQ(1)H(2) by CP-Pt. As a whole, platinum nanoparticles have an NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase-like activity. This suggests that platinum nanoparticles are a potential medicinal substance for oxidative stress diseases with suppressed mitochondrial complex I.     

Enzymatic oxidation of cadmium and lead metals photodeposited on cadmium sulfide

Cadmium and lead metals deposited on CdS particles are shown to act as substrates--electron donors for enzymes, hydrogenase from Thiocapsa roseopersicina (HG), NAD-dependent hydrogenase from Alcaligenes eutrophus (NLH), and ferredoxin:NADP oxidoreductase (FNR) from Chlorella in the formation of hydrogen, NADH and NADPH, respectively. Adsorption of the enzyme on the surface of the metallized CdS particle is required for enzymatic oxidation of metal. The maximum rates for the formation of hydrogen and NADH catalyzed by hydrogenase and NAD-dependent hydrogenase with metals as electron donors are comparable with the rates obtained for these enzymes using soluble substrates. Kinetic analysis of the enzymatic oxidation of cadmium metal has revealed that the rate decreases mainly due to the formation of a solid product, which is supposed to be Cd(OH)2. The deceleration of lead oxidation catalyzed by hydrogenase proceeds at the expense of the inhibitory effect of the formed Pb2+. The enzymatic oxidation of electrochemically prepared cadmium metal is also shown. Based on these results, a new mechanism of action of the enzymes involved in anaerobic biocorrosion is proposed. By this mechanism, the enzyme accelerates the process of metal dissolution through a mediatorless catalysis of the reduction of the enzyme substrate.     

Integrated, electrically contacted NAD(P)+-dependent enzyme-carbon nanotube electrodes for biosensors and biofuel cell applications

Integrated, electrically contacted beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide- (NAD(+)) or beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate- (NADP(+)) dependent enzyme electrodes were prepared on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) supports. The SWCNTs were functionalized with Nile Blue (1), and the cofactors NADP(+) and NAD(+) were linked to 1 through a phenyl boronic acid ligand. The affinity complexes of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) with the NADP(+) cofactor or alcohol dehydrogenase (AlcDH) with the NAD(+) cofactor were crosslinked with glutaric dialdehyde and the biomolecule-functionalized SWCNT materials were deposited on glassy carbon electrodes. The integrated enzyme electrodes revealed bioelectrocatalytic activities, and they acted as amperometric electrodes for the analysis of glucose or ethanol. The bioelectrocatalytic response of the systems originated from the biocatalyzed oxidation of the respective substrates by the enzyme with the concomitant generation of NAD(P)H cofactors. The electrocatalytically mediated oxidation of NAD(P)H by 1 led to amperometric responses in the system. Similarly, an electrically contacted bilirubin oxidase (BOD)-SWCNT electrode was prepared by the deposition of BOD onto the SWCNTs and the subsequent crosslinking of the BOD units using glutaric dialdehyde. The BOD-SWCNT electrode revealed bioelectrocatalytic functions for the reduction of O(2) to H(2)O. The different electrically contacted SWCNT-based enzyme electrodes were used to construct biofuel cell elements. The electrically contacted GDH-SWCNT electrode was used as the anode for the oxidation of the glucose fuel in conjunction with the BOD-SWCNT electrode in the presence of O(2), which acted as an oxidizer in the system. The power output of the cell was 23 muW cm(-2). Similarly, the AlcDH-SWCNT electrode was used as the anode for the oxidation of ethanol, which was acting as the fuel, with the BOD-SWCNT electrode as the cathode for the reduction of O(2). The power output of the system was 48 microW cm(-2).     

Glassy carbon electrode modified with poly-Neutral Red for photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of NADH

A new approach is described for the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of Reduced ß-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NADH). It is based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a film of poly-Neutral Red (poly-NR) that is obtained by electropolymerization. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the modified electrode displays electrocatalytic and photo-electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of NADH. If irradiated with a 250-W halogen lamp, the electrode yields a strongly increased electrocatalytic current compared to the current without irradiation. Amperometric and photo-amperometric detection of NADH was performed at +150 mV vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl_sat and the currents obtained are linearly related to the concentration of NADH. Linear calibration plots are obtained in the concentration range from 1.0 μM to 1.0 mM for both methods. However, the slope of the current-NADH concentration curve of the photo-electrocatalytic procedure was 2-times better than that obtained without irradiation.

DNA cleavage by UVA irradiation of NADH with dioxygen via radical chain processes

Efficient DNA cleaving-activity is observed by UVA irradiation of an O(2)-saturated aqueous solution of NADH (beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form). No DNA cleavage has been observed without NADH under otherwise the same experimental conditions. In the presence of NADH, energy transfer from the triplet excited state of NADH ((3)NADH*) to O(2) occurs to produce singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) that is detected by the phosphorescence emission at 1270 nm. No quenching of (1)O(2) by NADH was observed as indicated by no change in the intensity of phosphorescence emission of (1)O(2) at 1270 nm in the presence of various concentrations of NADH. In addition to the energy transfer, photoinduced electron transfer from (3)NADH* to O(2) occurs to produce NADH(*+) and O(2)(*-), both of which was observed by ESR. The quantum yield of the photochemical oxidation of NADH with O(2) increases linearly with increasing concentration of NADH but decreases with increasing the light intensity absorbed by NADH. Such unusual dependence of the quantum yield on concentration of NADH and the light intensity absorbed by NADH indicates that the photochemical oxidation of NADH with O(2) proceeds via radical chain processes. The O(2)(*-) produced in the photoinduced electron transfer is in the protonation equilibrium with HO(2)(*), which acts as a chain carrier for the radical chain oxidation of NADH with O(2) to produce NAD(+) and H(2)O(2), leading to the DNA cleavage.     

Amperometric detection of pyridine nucleotides via immobilized viologen-accepting pyridine nucleotide oxidoreductase or immobilized diaphorase

The immobilization and electrical connection of a viologen-accepting pyridine nucleotide oxidoreductase (VAPOR) on an electrode surface by coadsorption with an amphiphilic pyrrole viologen and electropolymerization of this pyrrole monomer are described. The immobilized VAPOR catalyzes the reduction of NAD(P)(+) to NAD(P)H by the viologen redox couple (V(2+2+)). The sensitivity of this biosensor is 1.4 and 2.5 mA M(-1) cm(-2) for NAD(+) and NADP(+) respectively. The immobilization of diaphorase within a laponite gel adsorbed on an electrode surface is described. The incorporation and electropolymerization of Methylene Blue in the biolayer allows an electron transfer communication between diaphorase molecules and the electrode surface. The diaphorase electrode thus obtained responds to NADH at 0 V. The sensitivity and detection limit of this biosensor are 11.2 mA M(-1) cm(-2) and 1 muM respectively.     

Selection and microencapsulation of an “NADH-oxidizing” bacterium and its use for NAD regeneration

An alternative approach to the regeneration of coenzymes is described here using immobilized microorganisms possessing “NADH-oxidase” function. Bacteria containing NADH-oxidase activity are immobilized by microencapsulation within artificial cells. In this form, the microencapsulated bacteria can recycle NADH back to NAD in the presence of molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor. The only byproduct of the recycling reaction is water. In order to perform the biological regeneration of NAD, the activity of NADH-oxidase was investigated in 13 strains of aerobic bacteria and yeast. The NADH-oxidizing bacteriaLeuconostoc mesenteroides exhibited the highest activity among the microorganisms tested. The permeabilized bacteria showed 10% of their initial activity after microencapsulation. Light and electron microscopy studies of bacteria loaded microcapsules have been done. Enzymatic properties of microcapsule-immobilized bacteria were investigated in comparison with those of the free enzyme complex.Leuconostoc mesenteroides, containing NADH-oxidase, has been microencapsulated together with 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSDH) for stereospecific steroid oxidation. In a batch reactor, 2 mg of NAD, with recycling, allowed the same substrate consumption as 4.4 mg of NAD without recycling. The microencapsulated system can be used repeatedly. The system is functional for 10 h, during which time each molecule of NAD has been used 7.6 times.     

NADH Photosynthesis System with Affordable Electron Supply and Inhibited NADH Oxidation

Photosynthesis offers a green approach for the recycling of nicotinamide cofactors primarily NADH in bio-redox reactions. Herein, we report an NADH photosynthesis system where the oxidation of biomass derivatives is designed as an electron supply module (ESM) to afford electrons and superoxide dismutase/catalase (SOD/CAT) cascade catalysis is designed as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination module (REM) to inhibit NADH degradation. Glucose as the electron donor guarantees the reaction sustainability accompanied with oxidative products of gluconic acid and formic acid. Meanwhile, enzyme cascades of SOD/CAT greatly eliminate ROS, leading to a ≈2.00-fold elevation of NADH yield (61.1 % vs. 30.7 %). The initial reaction rate and turnover frequency (TOF) increased by 2.50 times and 2.54 times, respectively, compared with those systems without REM. Our study establishes a novel and efficient platform for NADH photosynthesis coupled to biomass-to-chemical conversion.     

The substrate-bound crystal structure of a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase exhibits a Criegee-like conformation

The Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are a family of bacterial flavoproteins that catalyze the synthetically useful Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction. This involves the conversion of ketones into esters or cyclic ketones into lactones by introducing an oxygen atom adjacent to the carbonyl group. The BVMOs offer exquisite regio- and enantiospecificity while acting on a wide range of substrates. They use only NADPH and oxygen as cosubstrates, and produce only NADP(+) and water as byproducts, making them environmentally attractive for industrial purposes. Here, we report the first crystal structure of a BVMO, cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 in complex with its substrate, cyclohexanone, as well as NADP(+) and FAD, to 2.4 ? resolution. This structure shows a drastic rotation of the NADP(+) cofactor in comparison to previously reported NADP(+)-bound structures, as the nicotinamide moiety is no longer positioned above the flavin ring. Instead, the substrate, cyclohexanone, is found at this location, in an appropriate position for the formation of the Criegee intermediate. The rotation of NADP(+) permits the substrate to gain access to the reactive flavin peroxyanion intermediate while preventing it from diffusing out of the active site. The structure thus reveals the conformation of the enzyme during the key catalytic step. CHMO is proposed to undergo a series of conformational changes to gradually move the substrate from the solvent, via binding in a solvent excluded pocket that dictates the enzyme's chemospecificity, to a location above the flavin-peroxide adduct where catalysis occurs.     

Cofactor Recycling Mechanism in Asymmetric Biocatalytic Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds Mediated by Yeast: Which is the Efficient Electron Donor?

In asymmetric reduction of carbonyl compounds mediated by microorganisms, the cofactors that transfer hydride should be regenerated by using a recycling system. In most cases, this recycling system consists of carbohydrate molecules, especially glucose or sucrose. Other molecules such as ethanol and acetate have been used as electron donors too. The reduction can even be conducted without added electron donors. To improve biocatalytic synthesis, it is important to understand the cofactor recycling mechanism. In this work, the hydride‐transfer mechanism in cofactor regeneration, which takes place in bioreduction mediated by yeast, was studied by means of an isotope tracing technique. The results show that, when glucose was used, the NADH involved in the glycolysis was consumed directly in the formation of ethanol and was not used in the bioreduction. Hence, the regeneration of cofactors in the reduction is not coupled with glycolysis. Nevertheless, glucose is an efficient electron donor that transfers hydride through the hexose monophosphate (HMP) pathway in which the main hydrogen source is C‐1 and C‐3 hydrogen of glucose. Ethanol is not a good electron donor, since, when it was used, only a small quantity of hydrogen was transferred from this molecule, and the main hydrogen source was water. Therefore, the ethanol oxidation pathway may not be efficient. In the absence of added auxiliary substrates, the yeast cells may use electron donors stored in its cellules. However, in this case we observed that the main hydrogen source for cofactor recycling was water, while only very few hydrogen atoms were from unexchangeable sites. This is similar to the case in which ethanol is used, and is in contradiction with the HMP pathway if stored glucose was the electron donor. The question that remains to be investigated is “what is the efficient electron donor recycling mechanism in the yeast cellules?”     

废弃SCR催化剂的循环再利用及表征分析研究

针对废弃SCR脱硝催化剂常规再利用处理后存在SO_2氧化率高的问题,提出了一种新型的废弃催化剂再利用新工艺,包括酸洗、还原酸浸和活性组分负载等步骤,以有效控制再利用催化剂的SO_2氧化率。实验考察了经不同步骤处理后所得催化剂的组分、脱硝效率和SO_2氧化率的变化情况,并对催化剂进行了深入的分析表征。结果表明,新鲜催化剂、废弃催化剂、常规再利用催化剂、新型再利用催化剂的脱硝效率和SO_2氧化率分别为99.0%和0.43%、77.0%和0.46%、94.2%和0.80%、99.3%和0.48%,采用本方法获得的再利用催化剂不仅脱硝效率完全恢复,而且SO_2氧化率得到了很好的控制。通过对催化剂的分析表征发现,采用常规再利用技术不能有效清除废弃催化剂表面的高聚态钒物种,而本方法则可以有效清理这类高聚态钒物种,并以高度分散的钒物种进行替代,从而有效控制再利用催化剂的SO_2氧化率。     

Highly selective and sensitive detection of NADP coenzymes using co-immobilized glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase/diaphorase reactors as on-line amplifiers based on substrate recycling in a chemiluminometric flow-injection system

Two enzyme reactors prepared by the co-immobilization of two different glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases (G6PDH; from Leuconstoc mescenteroides (LM) and yeast (Y) and diaphorase are employed to enhance the sensitivity of NAD(P) coenzymes as on-line amplifiers based on substrate recycling in a chemiluminometric flow-injection system. The NAD(P) coenzymes are recycled enzymatically during passage through the reactor in the presence of sufficient glucose-6-phosphate and oxygen in the carrier solution to produce a large amount of hydrogen peroxide, which is detected chemiluminometrically in the subsequent flow line. The G6PDH(LM)/diaphorase co-immobilized reactor is not specific between the NAD and NADP coenzymes, but shows a six fold selectivity towards NADP coenzymes compared to NAD coenzymes; the amplification factors for NAD and NADP coenzymes are 60 and 380, respectively, at a flow rate of 0.3 ml min(-1). In contrast, the G6PDH(Y)/diaphorase co-immobilized reactor is specific for NADP coenzymes with an amplification factor of about 600 (at a flow rate of 0.3 ml min(-1)). The detection limit is 6 fmol for both NADP(+) and NADPH.     

Catalytic electrooxidation of NADH for dehydrogenase amperometric biosensors

The developments in the techniques of NADH catalytic oxidation relevant for incorporation in amperometric biosensors with dehydrogenase enzymes are reviewed with special emphasis in the years following 1990. The review stresses the direct electro-catalytic methods of NAD⁺ recycling as opposed to enzymatic regeneration of the coenzyme. These developments are viewed and evaluated from a mechanistic perspective of recycling of NADH to enzymatically active NAD⁺, and from the point of view of development of technologically useful reagentless dehydrogenase biosensors. An effort is made to propose a method for the standardization of evaluation of new mediating and direct coenzyme recycling schemes. A perspective is given for the requirements that have to be met for successful biosensor development incorporating dehydrogenase enzymes that open the analytical possibilities to a number of new analytes. The intrinsic limitations of the system are finally discussed and a view of the future of the field is presented.     

ATP-Independent and Cell-Free Biosynthesis of β-Hydroxy Acids Using Vinyl Esters as Smart Substrates

In vitro biosynthetic pathways that condense and reduce molecules through coenzyme A (CoASH) activation demand energy and redox power in the form of ATP and NAD(P)H, respectively. These coenzymes must be orthogonally recycled by ancillary reactions that consume chemicals, electricity, or light, impacting the atom economy and/or the energy consumption of the biosystem. In this work, we have exploited vinyl esters as dual acyl and electron donor substrates to synthesize β-hydroxy acids through a non-decarboxylating Claisen condensation, reduction and hydrolysis stepwise cascade, including a NADH recycling step, catalyzed by a total of 4 enzymes. Herein, the chemical energy to activate the acyl group with CoASH and the redox power for the reduction are embedded into the vinyl esters. Upon optimization, this self-sustaining cascade reached a titer of (S)-3-hydroxy butyrate of 24 mM without requiring ATP and simultaneously recycling CoASH and NADH. This work illustrates the potential of in vitro biocatalysis to transform simple molecules into multi-functional ones.     

Histochemical staining and quantification of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase diaphorase activity using blue native PAGE

Mammalian mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH, EC 1.8.1.4) catalyzes NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of dihydrolipoamide in vivo and can also act as a diaphorase catalyzing in vitro nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced form) (NADH)-dependent reduction of electron-accepting molecules such as ubiquinone and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT). In this paper, we report a gel-based method for histochemical staining and quantification of DLDH diaphorase activity using blue native PAGE (BN-PAGE). Rat brain mitochondrial extracts, used as the source of DLDH, were resolved by nongradient BN-PAGE (9%), which was followed by diaphorase activity staining using NADH as the electron donor and NBT as the electron acceptor. It was shown that activity staining of DLDH diaphorase was both protein amount- and time-dependent. Moreover, this in-gel activity-staining method was demonstrated to be in good agreement with the conventional spectrophotometric method that measures DLDH dehydrogenase activity using dihydrolipoamide as the substrate. The method was applied to determine levels of DLDH diaphorase activity in several rat tissues other than the brain, and the results indicated a similar level of DLDH diaphorase activity for all the tissues examined. Finally, the effects of thiol-reactive reagents such as N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and nitric oxide donors on DLDH diaphorase activity were evaluated, demonstrating that, with this method, DLDH diaphorase activity can be determined without having to remove these thiol-reactive reagents that may otherwise interfere with spectrophotometric measurement of DLDH dehydrogenase activity. The gel-based method can also be used as a means to isolate mitochondrial DLDH that is to be analyzed by mass spectral techniques in studying DLDH post-translational modifications.     

Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution without an electron mediator using a simple electron donor-acceptor dyad

A highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system without an electron mediator such as methyl viologen (MV(2+)) has been constructed using 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium ion (Acr(+)-Mes), poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-protected platinum nanoclusters (Pt-PVP) and NADH (beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) as the photocatalyst, hydrogen evolution catalyst and electron donor, respectively. The photocatalyst (Acr(+)-Mes) undergoes photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from the Mes moiety to the singlet excited state of the Acr(+) moiety to produce an extremely long-lived ET state, which is capable of oxidizing NADH and reducing Pt-PVP, leading to efficient hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution efficiency is 300 times higher than that in the presence of MV(2+) because of the much faster reduction rate of Pt-PVP by Acr(*)-Mes compared with that by MV(*+). When the electron donor (NADH) is replaced by ethanol in the presence of an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), NADH is regenerated during the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.     

TEMPO supported on magnetic C/Co-nanoparticles: a highly active and recyclable organocatalyst

TEMPO was grafted on graphene-coated nanobeads with a magnetic cobalt core by using a general applicable "click"-chemistry protocol. The new heterogeneous CoNP-TEMPO emerged as a highly active catalyst for the chemoselective oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols using bleach as terminal oxidant. The outstanding stability of the C/Co nanoparticles enables the nanopowder to tolerate several TEMPO-mediated iterative oxidation reactions without any significant loss in catalyst activity. Furthermore, the excellent magnetic properties enable the rapid separation and quantitative recycling of CoNP-TEMPO out of the reaction mixture by simple magnetic decantation. The recovered nanoparticles can be subsequently reused without any further purification.     

Amperometric sensing of NADH and ethanol using a hybrid film electrode modified with electrochemically fabricated zirconia nanotubes and poly (acid fuchsin)

We report on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a film of chitosin containing acid fuchsin (AF) adsorbed onto zirconia nanotubes. The mixture was polymerized by cyclic voltammetric scannings in the potential range from - 0.8?V to +1.3?V in buffer solution to produce a hybrid film electrode (nano-ZrO₂/PAF/GCE). The morphology of the hybrid film electrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Its electrochemical properties were studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical response of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry. The results indicated that the nano-ZrO₂/PAF/GCE possesses well synergistic catalytic activity towards NADH. Compared to an unmodified GCE, the oxidation overpotential is negatively shifted by 224?mV, and the oxidation current is significantly increased. Under optimal conditions, the amperometric response is linearly proportional to the concentration of NADH in the 1.0 – 100.0?μM concentration range. Ethanol also can be determined by amperometry if alcohol dehydrogenase and NADH are added to the sample. Two linear relationships between current and alcohol concentration were obtained. They cover the range from 0.03 to 1.0?mM, and from 1.0 to 12.0?mM.

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under highly basic conditions by using Ru nanoparticles and 2-phenyl-4-(1-naphthyl)quinolinium ion

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with a ruthenium metal catalyst under basic conditions (pH 10) has been made possible for the first time by using 2-phenyl-4-(1-naphthyl)quinolinium ion (QuPh(+)-NA), dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and Ru nanoparticles (RuNPs) as the photocatalyst, electron donor, and hydrogen-evolution catalyst, respectively. The catalytic reactivity of RuNPs was virtually the same as that of commercially available PtNPs. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements were performed to examine the photodynamics of QuPh(+)-NA in the presence of NADH. Upon photoexcitation of QuPh(+)-NA, the electron-transfer state of QuPh(+)-NA (QuPh(?)-NA(?+)) is produced, followed by formation of the π-dimer radical cation with QuPh(+)-NA, [(QuPh(?)-NA(?+))(QuPh(+)-NA)]. Electron transfer from NADH to the π-dimer radical cation leads to the production of 2 equiv of QuPh(?)-NA via deprotonation of NADH(?+) and subsequent electron transfer from NAD(?) to QuPh(+)-NA. Electron transfer from the photogenerated QuPh(?)-NA to RuNPs results in hydrogen evolution even under basic conditions. The rate of electron transfer from QuPh(?)-NA to RuNPs is much higher than the rate of hydrogen evolution. The effect of the size of the RuNPs on the catalytic reactivity for hydrogen evolution was also examined by using size-controlled RuNPs. RuNPs with a size of 4.1 nm exhibited the highest hydrogen-evolution rate normalized by the weight of RuNPs.