Biomaterial Database

Biological significance of the side chain length of ubiquinone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 1998

K Okada, and T Kainou, and H Matsuda, and M Kawamukai

Department of Applied Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan.

Ubiquinone (UQ), an important component of the electron transfer system, is constituted of a quinone structure and a side chain isoprenoid. The side chain length of UQ differs between microorganisms, and this difference has been used for taxonomic study. In this study, we have addressed the importance of the length of the side chain of UQ for cells, and examined the effect of chain length by producing UQs with isoprenoid chain lengths between 5 and 10 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To make the different UQ species, different types of prenyl diphosphate synthases were expressed in a S. cerevisiae COQ1 mutant defective for hexaprenyl diphosphate synthesis. As a result, we found that the original species of UQ (in this case UQ-6) had maximum functionality. However, we found that other species of UQ could replace UQ-6. Thus a broad spectrum of different UQ species are biologically functional in yeast cells, although cells seem to display a preference for their own particular type of UQ.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003001	Cloning, Molecular	The insertion of recombinant DNA molecules from prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic sources into a replicating vehicle, such as a plasmid or virus vector, and the introduction of the resultant hybrid molecules into recipient cells without altering the viability of those cells.	Molecular Cloning
D012441	Saccharomyces cerevisiae	A species of the genus SACCHAROMYCES, family Saccharomycetaceae, order Saccharomycetales, known as "baker's" or "brewer's" yeast. The dried form is used as a dietary supplement.	Baker's Yeast,Brewer's Yeast,Candida robusta,S. cerevisiae,Saccharomyces capensis,Saccharomyces italicus,Saccharomyces oviformis,Saccharomyces uvarum var. melibiosus,Yeast, Baker's,Yeast, Brewer's,Baker Yeast,S cerevisiae,Baker's Yeasts,Yeast, Baker
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D013329	Structure-Activity Relationship	The relationship between the chemical structure of a compound and its biological or pharmacological activity. Compounds are often classed together because they have structural characteristics in common including shape, size, stereochemical arrangement, and distribution of functional groups.	Relationship, Structure-Activity,Relationships, Structure-Activity,Structure Activity Relationship,Structure-Activity Relationships
D014451	Ubiquinone	A lipid-soluble benzoquinone which is involved in ELECTRON TRANSPORT in mitochondrial preparations. The compound occurs in the majority of aerobic organisms, from bacteria to higher plants and animals.	Coenzyme Q
D017368	Protein Prenylation	A post-translational modification of proteins by the attachment of an isoprenoid to the C-terminal cysteine residue. The isoprenoids used, farnesyl diphosphate or geranylgeranyl diphosphate, are derived from the same biochemical pathway that produces cholesterol.	Post-Translational Isoprenylation,Protein Isoprenylation,Protein Farnesylation,Protein Geranylgeranylation,Protein Polyisoprenylation,Farnesylation, Protein,Geranylgeranylation, Protein,Polyisoprenylation, Protein,Prenylation, Protein
D019883	Alkyl and Aryl Transferases	A somewhat heterogeneous class of enzymes that catalyze the transfer of alkyl or related groups (excluding methyl groups). EC 2.5.	Alkyltransferase,Alkyltransferases,Aryltransferase,Aryltransferases