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Wang Y, Lilienfeldt N, Hekimi S. Understanding coenzyme Q. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1533-1610. [PMID: 38722242 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Coenzyme Q (CoQ), also known as ubiquinone, comprises a benzoquinone head group and a long isoprenoid side chain. It is thus extremely hydrophobic and resides in membranes. It is best known for its complex function as an electron transporter in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) but is also required for several other crucial cellular processes. In fact, CoQ appears to be central to the entire redox balance of the cell. Remarkably, its structure and therefore its properties have not changed from bacteria to vertebrates. In metazoans, it is synthesized in all cells and is found in most, and maybe all, biological membranes. CoQ is also known as a nutritional supplement, mostly because of its involvement with antioxidant defenses. However, whether there is any health benefit from oral consumption of CoQ is not well established. Here we review the function of CoQ as a redox-active molecule in the ETC and other enzymatic systems, its role as a prooxidant in reactive oxygen species generation, and its separate involvement in antioxidant mechanisms. We also review CoQ biosynthesis, which is particularly complex because of its extreme hydrophobicity, as well as the biological consequences of primary and secondary CoQ deficiency, including in human patients. Primary CoQ deficiency is a rare inborn condition due to mutation in CoQ biosynthetic genes. Secondary CoQ deficiency is much more common, as it accompanies a variety of pathological conditions, including mitochondrial disorders as well as aging. In this context, we discuss the importance, but also the great difficulty, of alleviating CoQ deficiency by CoQ supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Noah Lilienfeldt
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Siegfried Hekimi
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Pierrel F, Burgardt A, Lee JH, Pelosi L, Wendisch VF. Recent advances in the metabolic pathways and microbial production of coenzyme Q. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 38:58. [PMID: 35178585 PMCID: PMC8854274 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) serves as an electron carrier in aerobic respiration and has become an interesting target for biotechnological production due to its antioxidative effect and benefits in supplementation to patients with various diseases. Here, we review discovery of the pathway with a particular focus on its superstructuration and regulation, and we summarize the metabolic engineering strategies for overproduction of CoQ by microorganisms. Studies in model microorganisms elucidated the details of CoQ biosynthesis and revealed the existence of multiprotein complexes composed of several enzymes that catalyze consecutive reactions in the CoQ pathways of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli. Recent findings indicate that the identity and the total number of proteins involved in CoQ biosynthesis vary between species, which raises interesting questions about the evolution of the pathway and could provide opportunities for easier engineering of CoQ production. For the biotechnological production, so far only microorganisms have been used that naturally synthesize CoQ10 or a related CoQ species. CoQ biosynthesis requires the aromatic precursor 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and the prenyl side chain that defines the CoQ species. Up to now, metabolic engineering strategies concentrated on the overproduction of the prenyl side chain as well as fine-tuning the expression of ubi genes from the ubiquinone modification pathway, resulting in high CoQ yields. With expanding knowledge about CoQ biosynthesis and exploration of new strategies for strain engineering, microbial CoQ production is expected to improve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Pierrel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, TIMC, 38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Arthur Burgardt
- Genetics of Prokaryotes, Faculty of Biology and Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jin-Ho Lee
- Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Ludovic Pelosi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, TIMC, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Volker F Wendisch
- Genetics of Prokaryotes, Faculty of Biology and Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
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Wang S, Fang Y, Wang Z, Zhang S, Wang L, Guo Y, Wang X. Improving L-threonine production in Escherichia coli by elimination of transporters ProP and ProVWX. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:58. [PMID: 33653345 PMCID: PMC7927397 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01546-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Betaine, an osmoprotective compatible solute, has been used to improve l-threonine production in engineered Escherichia colil-threonine producer. Betaine supplementation upregulates the expression of zwf encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, leading to the increase of NADPH, which is beneficial for l-threonine production. In E. coli, betaine can be taken through ProP encoded by proP or ProVWX encoded by proVWX. ProP is a H+-osmolyte symporter, whereas ProVWX is an ABC transporter. ProP and ProVWX mediate osmotic stress protection by transporting zwitterionic osmolytes, including glycine betaine. Betaine can also be synthesized in E. coli by enzymes encoded by betABIT. However, the influence of ProP, ProVWX and betABIT on l-threonine production in E. coli has not been investigated. Results In this study, the influence of ProP, ProVWX and betABIT on l-threonine production in E. coli has been investigated. Addition of betaine slightly improved the growth of the l-threonine producing E. coli strain TWF001 as well as the l-threonine production. Deletion of betABIT retarded the growth of TWF001 and slightly decreased the l-threonine production. However, deletion of proP or/and proVWX significantly increased the l-threonine production. When proP was deleted, the l-threonine production increased 33.3%; when proVWX was deleted, the l-threonine production increased 40.0%. When both proP and proVWX were deleted, the resulting strain TSW003 produced 23.5 g/l l-threonine after 36 h flask cultivation. The genes betABIT, proC, fadR, crr and ptsG were individually deleted from TSW003, and it was found that further absence of either crr (TWS008) or ptsG (TWS009) improved l-threonine production. TSW008 produced 24.9 g/l l-threonine after 36 h flask cultivation with a yield of 0.62 g/g glucose and a productivity of 0.69 g/l/h. TSW009 produced 26 g/l l-threonine after 48 h flask cultivation with a yield of 0.65 g/g glucose and a productivity of 0.54 g/l/h, which is 116% increase compared to the control TWF001. Conclusions In this study, l-threonine-producing E. coli strains TSW008 and TSW009 with high l-threonine productivity were developed by regulating the intracellular osmotic pressure. This strategy could be used to improve the production of other products in microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaiwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yu Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Shuyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Liangjia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, China. .,International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. .,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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