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Para‐aminobenzoic acid is a coenzyme Q biosynthetic precursor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Author(s) -
Marbois Beth Noelle,
Choi Samuel,
Nguyen Theresa,
Hyman Kyle,
Hirano Kathleen,
Clarke Catherine
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.849.5
Subject(s) - yeast , enzyme , saccharomyces cerevisiae , biosynthesis , prenylation , biochemistry , cofactor , stereochemistry , mitochondrial matrix , coenzyme q – cytochrome c reductase , chemistry , ring (chemistry) , mitochondrion , cytosol , organic chemistry , cytochrome c
Respiratory electron transport in the plasma membrane of prokaryotes and in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes is supported by the crucial lipid component, ubiquinone (coenzyme Q or Q). Qn is composed of a fully substituted benzoquinone ring and a polyisoprene tail of n units. The best‐characterized ring precursor, 4‐hydroxybenozoate (4HB), is derived from the chorismate biosynthetic pathway. Extensive work has shown that the ring carbons of 4HB are incorporated into Q 6 in yeast, under the activity of an enzyme complex found in the yeast mitochondrial matrix. However, the direct precursor compounds and enzymatic steps for the generation of 4HB in yeast are unknown. Our recent findings show that para‐aminobenzoic acid ( p ABA) is also a precursor for Q biosynthesis. In yeast pABA is synthesized from chorismate in two steps: Abz1 amidates chorismate to form 4‐deoxyaminochorismate, and Abz2 is a lyase that forms pABA. Here we show that the production of a prenylated form of pABA is dependent on the presence of the ABZ1 gene. We also demonstrate by LC‐MSMS analyses that yeast incubated with stable isotope forms of [ 13 C 6 ‐ring]‐pABA or [ 13 C 6 ‐ring]‐4HB generate [ 13 C 6 ]‐coenzyme Q 6 . These results identify a novel biosynthetic pathway for the production of Q in yeast. This research was supported by grants from the NIH GM 45952, NSF MCB‐0919609, and by a grant S10RR024605 from the National Center for Research Resources.