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.

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