X-Message-Number: 18698 Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002 10:31:19 -0800 (PST) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: lifespan extension of nematodes fed diet lacking coenzyme Q [Comment by poster:The experiment below compared a diet containing coenzyme Q8, with a Q-less diet. Caenorhabditis can manufacture coenzyme Q9 themselves, so the experiment is really comparing the effect of Q9 versus Q8 on nematode longevity. Metabolism of Q9 is known to produce less oxygen derived free radicals than metabolism of Q8. The human isoform is coenzyme Q10, which generates still less oxygen derived free radicals. Rodent studies using added Q10, find that longevity is either increased or it is unchanged. Like nematodes, rodents naturally produce Q9. IMHO, research using Q11, or Q12 might yield some interesting results.] ________________________________________________________________ Extension of Life-Span in Caenorhabditis Elegans by a Diet Lacking Coenzyme Q Science 295: 120-123 2002 Abstract: The isoprenylated benzoquinone coenzyme Q is a redox-active lipid essential for electron transport in aerobic respiration. Here, we show that withdrawal of coenzyme Q (Q) from the diet of wild-type nematodes extends adult life-span by 60%. The longevity of clk-l, daf-2, daf-12, and daf-16 mutants is also extended by a Q-less diet. These results establish the importance of Q in life-span determination. The findings suggest that Q and the daf-2 pathway intersect at the mitochondria and imply that a concerted production coupled with enhanced scavenging of reactive oxygen species contributes to the substantial life-span extension. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18698