Coenzyme Q (ubiquinone)

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance.

Mains (GS III) – Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Why in news?

Recent study reveals that CRISPR-edited rice producing CoQ10, coenzyme can play critical role in human food.

Enzymes and Coenzymes

Enzymes – These are proteins that catalyse reactions in a cell, making metabolism efficient.
Coenzymes –Many enzymes require some molecules as cofactors, for efficient functioning. These helper molecules are called coenzymes.
They are naturally occurring non-protein molecules organic molecules that bind to and support enzyme activity.
Types – Based on the chemical nature, coenzymes can be classified as
- Vitamins or vitamin-derived coenzymes (Eg, NAD+ and NADP+ are derived from vitamin B3).
- Nonvitamins or metabolite coenzymes.

Coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) – It is a metabolite coenzymes type of coenzymes that is present in every cell membrane.
It is a fat-soluble and water insoluble naturally occurring molecule.
Types - It comes in 10 different types (CoQ1 to Q10).
Function – All these coenzymes play a vital role in the function of the mitochondrion, which is the powerhouse of a cell.
CoQ9 – It is a rich source of nutrition and is abundant in cereals (wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn, rye, millet) and plants like bamboo and avocado.
CoQ10 – It is critical for high-energy organs like the heart, supports the mitochondrial electron transport chain.
While humans naturally produce CoQ10, most plant-based foods like rice and wheat primarily synthesize CoQ9.
The researchers used CRISPR gene editing to modify the native Coq1 gene in rice, specifically targeting the "DdsA" gene.
This modification allows the rice to synthesize the desired CoQ10.
Advantages - Developing CoQ10-enriched crops offers a cost-effective and sustainable way to enhance nutritional value and improve health benefits.
The gene-edited rice demonstrated over 75% CoQ10 accumulation in both grains and leaves.
This offers a potential solution for increasing CoQ10 intake in the diets of individuals, particularly those at risk of deficiency.
Supplementing CoQ10 has been shown to help patients with neurological problems.