The phenotypes of the fission yeast which contains trace amounts of CoQ and the significance of existence of CoQ

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05393
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: Kaino Tomohiro 島根大学, 学術研究院農生命科学系, 准教授 (90541706)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Coenzyme Q / ubiquinone / 分裂酵母

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is known to function as an electron transport in mitochondria and an lipophilic antioxidant. Fission yeast S. pombe produces CoQ10 and its CoQ deficient mutants show various phenotypes. Fission yeast S. japonicus produces low levels of CoQ10, but phenotypes are not elucidated. In this study, S. japonicus wild type and CoQ deficient mutant showed respiratory deficiency and the severe sensitivity of oxidative stresses, but did not show production of sulfide and the growth delay in minimal medium.

Free Research Field

遺伝子工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトと同じCoQ10をもつ分裂酵母S. pombeは、CoQ欠損により様々な表現型を示し、また、ヒトでもCoQ量の減少が病気の原因のひとつである可能性が示唆されている。S. japonicusは、CoQ10が極微量でありながら、硫化水素は発生しておらず、最少培地での生育遅延も見られなかった。このことから、CoQの減少による病気の原因を理解するための知見が得られることが今後期待できると考えている。