Defining intermediates and redundancies in coenzyme Q precursor biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: Coenzyme Q (CoQ), a redox-active lipid essential for oxidative phosphorylation, is synthesized by virtually all cells, but how eukaryotes make the universal CoQ head group precursor 4-hydroxybenzoate (4-HB) from tyrosine is unknown. The first and last steps of this pathway have been defined in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the intermediates and enzymes involved in converting 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (4-HPP) to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HBz) have not been described. Here, we interrogate this pathway with genetic screens, targeted LC-MS, and chemical genetics. We identify three redundant aminotransferases (Bna3, Bat2, and Aat2) that support CoQ biosynthesis in the absence of the established pathway tyrosine aminotransferases, Aro8 and Aro9. We use isotope labeling to identify bona fide tyrosin

SUBMITTER: Robinson KP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8122105 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature