Yeast Clk-1 homologue (Coq7/Cat5) is a mitochondrial protein in coenzyme Q synthesis

Mutations in the clk-1 gene result in slower development and increased life span in Caenorhabditis elegans. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue COQ7/CAT5 is essential for several metabolic pathways including ubiquinone biosynthesis, respiration, and gluconeogenic gene activation. We show here that Coq7p/Cat5p is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein directly involved in ubiquinone biosynthesis, and that the defect in gluconeogenic gene activation in coq7/cat5 null mutants is a general consequence of a defect in respiration. These results obtained in the yeast model suggest that the effects on development and life span in C. elegans clk-1 mutants may relate to changes in the amount of ubiquinone, an essential electron transport component and a lipid soluble antioxidant.