Abstract
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a vital lipophilic molecule that is endogenously synthesized in the mitochondria of each cell. The CoQ biosynthetic pathway is complex and not completely characterized, and it involves at least thirteen catalytic and regulatory proteins. Once it is synthesized, CoQ exerts a wide variety of mitochondrial and extramitochondrial functions thank to its redox capacity and its lipophilicity. Thus, low levels of CoQ cause diseases with heterogeneous clinical symptoms, which are not always understood. The decreased levels of CoQ may be primary caused by defects in the CoQ biosynthetic pathway or secondarily associated with other diseases. In both cases, the pathomechanisms are related to the CoQ functions, although further experimental evidence is required to establish this association. The conventional treatment for CoQ deficiencies is the high doses of oral CoQ10 supplementation, but this therapy is not effective for some specific clinical presentations, especially in those involving the nervous system. To better understand the CoQ biosynthetic pathway, the biological functions linked to CoQ and the pathomechanisms of CoQ deficiencies, and to improve the therapeutic outcomes of this syndrome, a variety of animal models have been generated and characterized in the last decade. In this review, we show all the animal models available, remarking on the most important outcomes that each model has provided. Finally, we also comment some gaps and future research directions related to CoQ metabolism and how the current and novel animal models may help in the development of future research studies.
Highlights
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) or ubiquinone is an essential lipid present in almost all living organisms
Vertebrate models of CoQ deficiency, especially the mammalian ones, are helpful to study the physiopathology of CoQ deficiencies and to understand the heterogeneity of these syndromes because they mimic the cellular functions of CoQ, the biosynthesis, its regulation, and the tissue specificity that may exist in humans
CoQ deficiency is a heterogeneous disease in humans, which is linked to five major phenotypes and some other clinical symptoms
Summary
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) or ubiquinone is an essential lipid present in almost all living organisms. Thanks to its redox chemistry, CoQ participates in the mitochondrial respiration, accepting electrons from complex I or complex II and transferring them to complex III at the same time that a proton gradient is produced in the intermembrane space [4,5]. Antioxidants 2021, 10, 1687 metabolic pathways [1,4,6], including the following: the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH),involved involvedininthe thepyrimidine pyrimidinebiosynthesis biosynthesis[7,8];. (ETFDH), fatty involvedininfatty fattyacid acidβ-oxidation, β-oxidation,the thecatabolism catabolismofofseveral severalamino aminoacids, acids,and andsarcosine sarcosine involved metabolism [11,12]; the proline dehydrogenase (PRODH).
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