A more in depth look at Coenzyme Q

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To understand Q’s important functions in the cell, we must first look at its structure: 

Q has a isoprenoid “tail” that anchors it to the lipid inner membrane of power-generating organelles mitochondria. But Q’s most important chemistry occurs at its benzoquinone “head”, where the ring can undergo three oxidation states to enable Q to accept and pass electrons.

Q’s primary job is to accept the electrons from aerobic respiration of Complex I and Complex II to Complex III. This redox process via the Electron Transport Chain ultimately creates the biological fuel ATP.

This accepting and passing electrons also makes Q a great antioxidant: free radicals are detrimental because of highly reactive free electrons, and antioxidants can detoxify our cells of free radicals by picking up and stabilizing the electron. 

To better understand how humans make and use Q, our lab studies small organisms like bakers’ yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans). These organisms are called model organisms because they are easier to do experiments on and their biology reveals a lot about our own biology. Additionally there are huge databases of information on each model organism, enabling scientists to share results to solve new questions.  

Green dots are Coq9 proteins and red dots are peroxisomal proteins

We study the nine proteins called that put together Q. They are called Coq proteins, and when yeast are missing any of the 1-9 Coq proteins, they are unable to make Q. One of my projects it to look at where these Coq proteins are located in the cell. Since Q is involved in the Electron Transport Chain, it makes sense that Coq proteins are in the mitochondria. By using a special fluorescent microscope and growing yeast that have a fluorescent protein tail attached to their Coq proteins, I can also see if these Coq proteins are found in other parts of the cell (see image).

“Now, a living organism is nothing but a wonderful machine endowed with the most marvellous properties and set going by means of the most complex and delicate mechanism.“

—Claude Bernard

 French physiologist, 1813-1878

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