Article: Three papers help to crack the code of coenzyme Q biosynthesis

[Andy]

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a vital cog in the body's energy-producing machinery, a kind of chemical gateway in the conversion of food into cellular fuel. But six decades removed from its discovery, scientists still can't describe exactly how and when it is made.

Dave Pagliarini, director of metabolism at the Morgridge Institute for Research, says the list of unknowns is daunting. How does it migrate around in the cell? How does it get used up and replenished? What genes and proteins are responsible for CoQ dysfunction? Why does its presence decline as people age?

Pagliarini, also an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his group are dedicated to chipping away at many of these knowledge gaps in CoQ production and in understanding the role of CoQ deficiency in human disease. CoQ deficiencies are implicated in scores of diseases, including liver and lung failures, muscle weakness, deafness and many brain disorders such as Parkinson's and cerebellar ataxia. The coenzyme is almost exclusively produced within the body and is often very difficult to replenish through nutritional supplements.

Against this backdrop, the Pagliarini lab is developing new tools to shed light on CoQ function, primarily by finding and defining proteins that have a direct link to the chemical. In the past month, Pagliarini's team has published three collaborative papers that gather multiple layers of information on cells where proteins have been manipulated.

https://scienmag.com/three-papers-help-to-crack-the-code-of-coenzyme-q-biosynthesis/

 

[Alvin]

Interesting, i have tried to look into this without success in the past (when i had some brain power) so now i know it wasn't my inability to concentrate that was keeping me from finding the info, it has not been discovered yet.
Also it may help us indirectly because if we know how its produced we may be able to back track and learn something about ME/CFS.

 

[Wonko]

I'm not sure how, the addition of CoQ10, whilst it provides a few more resources, at least for a while, doesn't prevent PEM, and may hasten it by encouraging inadvisable activities, like thinking.

As such it is, at least for me, in a host of other supplements that appear to give "fake" energy.

How understanding the mechanism would help is currently beyond me.

 

[Alvin]

The idea is if we know where it comes form and that its typically reduced in ME/CFS we can try to figure out why and if we come up with some good theories it may help elucidate the disease mechanism of ME/CFS. A long shot but little to lose by trying this angle.
I also found it gave some extra energy, but did not make my PEM worse, but the extra energy seemed to wear off

 

[Wonko]

It's typically increasingly reduced in all those over 40, according to my understanding, as all those over 40 don't have ME......

So whilst, if I remember, I will continue to use it as needed, if I need more brain in a week or two's time, I think it's unlikely to be a causal factor.