In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group on a substrate, or the substitution of an atom by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation, with a methyl group replacing a hydrogen atom. These terms are commonly used in chemistry, biochemistry, soil science, and the biological sciences.
Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone-10.
Histone methyltransferases (HMT) are histone-modifying enzymes, that catalyze the transfer of one, two, or three methyl groups to lysine and arginine residues of histone proteins. The attachment of methyl groups occurs predominantly at specific lysine or arginine residues on histones H3 and H4. Two major types of histone methyltranferases exist, lysine-specific and arginine-specific. In both types of histone methyltransferases, S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) serves as a cofactor and methyl donor group.
The genomic DNA of eukaryotes associates with histones to form chromatin. The level of chromatin compaction depends heavily on histone methylation and other post-translational modifications of histones. Histone methylation is a principal epigenetic modification of chromatin that determines gene expression, genomic stability, stem cell maturation, cell lineage development, genetic imprinting, DNA methylation, and cell mitosis.
Mitochondrial 5-demethoxyubiquinone hydroxylase, also known as coenzyme Q7, hydroxylase, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the COQ7 gene. The clk-1 (clock-1) gene encodes this protein that is necessary for ubiquinone biosynthesis in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans and other eukaryotes. The mouse version of the gene is called mclk-1 and the human, fruit fly and yeast homolog COQ7.
Methyltransferases are a large group of enzymes that all methylate their substrates but can be split into several subclasses based on their structural features. The most common class of methyltransferases is class I, all of which contain a Rossmann fold for binding S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM). Class II methyltransferases contain a SET domain, which are exemplified by SET domain histone methyltransferases, and class III methyltransferases, which are membrane associated. Methyltransferases can also be grouped as different types utilizing different substrates in methyl transfer reactions. These types include protein methyltransferases, DNA/RNA methyltransferases, natural product methyltransferases, and non-SAM dependent methyltransferases. SAM is the classical methyl donor for methyltransferases, however, examples of other methyl donors are seen in nature. The general mechanism for methyl transfer is a SN2-like nucleophilic attack where the methionine sulfur serves as the leaving group and the methyl group attached to it acts as the electrophile that transfers the methyl group to the enzyme substrate. SAM is converted to S-Adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) during this process. The breaking of the SAM-methyl bond and the formation of the substrate-methyl bond happen nearly simultaneously. These enzymatic reactions are found in many pathways and are implicated in genetic diseases, cancer, and metabolic diseases. Another type of methyl transfer is the radical S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) which is the methylation of unactivated carbon atoms in primary metabolites, proteins, lipids, and RNA.
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the DHODH gene on chromosome 16. The protein encoded by this gene catalyzes the fourth enzymatic step, the ubiquinone-mediated oxidation of dihydroorotate to orotate, in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. This protein is a mitochondrial protein located on the outer surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Inhibitors of this enzyme are used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
In enzymology, a 3-demethylubiquinone-9 3-O-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Decaprenyl-diphosphate synthase subunit 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PDSS1 gene.
Para-hydroxybenzoate—polyprenyltransferase, mitochondrial is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the COQ2 gene.
Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase binding protein, also known as UQCRB, Complex III subunit 7, QP-C, or Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex 14 kDa protein is a protein which in humans is encoded by the UQCRB gene. This gene encodes a subunit of the ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase complex, which consists of one mitochondrial-encoded and 10 nuclear-encoded subunits. Mutations in this gene are associated with mitochondrial complex III deficiency. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for this gene. Related pseudogenes have been identified on chromosomes 1, 5 and X.
Electron transfer flavoprotein-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, mitochondrial is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ETFDH gene. This gene encodes a component of the electron-transfer system in mitochondria and is essential for electron transfer from a number of mitochondrial flavin-containing dehydrogenases to the main respiratory chain.
Ubiquinone biosynthesis protein COQ4 homolog, mitochondrial is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COQ4 gene.
Ubiquinone biosynthesis protein COQ9, mitochondrial, also known as coenzyme Q9 homolog (COQ9), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COQ9 gene.
Decaprenyl-diphosphate synthase subunit 2 (PDSS2) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PDSS2 gene.
In molecular biology this protein domain, refers to UbiD, which is found in prokaryotes, archaea and fungi, with two members in Archaeoglobus fulgidus. They are related to UbiD, a 3-octaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoate carboxy-lyase from Escherichia coli that is involved in ubiquinone biosynthesis. The member from Helicobacter pylori has a C-terminal extension of just over 100 residues that is shared, in part, by the Aquifex aeolicus homologue.
2-polyprenyl-6-hydroxyphenol methylase is an enzyme with systematic name S-adenosyl-L-methionine:3-(all-trans-polyprenyl)benzene-1,2-diol 2-O-methyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Coenzyme Q6 monooxygenase is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COQ6 gene.
NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 beta subcomplex, 5, 16kDa is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NDUFB5 gene. The NDUFB5 protein is a subunit of NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone), which is located in the mitochondrial inner membrane and is the largest of the five complexes of the electron transport chain.
Protein arginine methyltransferase NDUFAF7, mitochondrial, also known as NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex assembly factor 7 (NDUFAF7),MidA, C2orf56, or PRO1853, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NDUFAF7 gene. NDUFAF7 is a methyltransferase mitochondrial assembly enzyme involved in the assembly and stabilization of NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) also known as complex I, which is located in the mitochondrial inner membrane and is the largest of the five complexes of the electron transport chain. Mutations in NDUFAF7 have been associated with pathologic myopia and complex I deficiency.
Catherine Clarke is an American biochemist who is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles. She was the first woman to serve as Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Her research considers the functional roles of Coenzyme Q.
