The subcellular localization of ubiquinone in human neutrophils

Ubiquinone-10 has recently been proposed as a component of the microbicidal oxidase system of neutrophil leukocytes [Crawford & Schneider (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 6662-6668]. We have determined the subcellular localization of ubiquinone and could detect it only in the mitochondrial fractions. It was not enriched in phagolysosomes which were enriched in O2-. generating activity and cytochrome b-245. It is proposed that ubiquinone is unlikely to play a direct role in the electron transport chain located in the plasma membrane which functions to produce microbicidal oxygen radicals.