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COQ8B gene
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/coq8b/

COQ8B gene

coenzyme Q8B

Normal Function

The COQ8B gene provides instructions for making a protein that is involved in the production of a molecule called coenzyme Q10, which has several critical functions in cells throughout the body. In cell structures called mitochondria, coenzyme Q10 plays an essential role in a process called oxidative phosphorylation, which converts the energy from food into a form cells can use. Coenzyme Q10 is also involved in producing pyrimidines, which are building blocks of DNA, its chemical cousin RNA, and molecules such as ATP and GTP that serve as energy sources in the cell. In cell membranes, coenzyme Q10 acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by unstable oxygen-containing molecules (free radicals), which are byproducts of energy production.

Health Conditions Related to Genetic Changes

Primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency

At least 11 mutations in the COQ8B gene have been found to cause a disorder known as primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency. This rare disease usually becomes apparent in infancy or early childhood, but it can occur at any age. It can affect many parts of the body, most often the brain, muscles, and kidneys. The COQ8B gene mutations associated with this disorder greatly reduce or eliminate the function of the COQ8B protein, which prevents the normal production of coenzyme Q10. Studies suggest that a shortage (deficiency) of coenzyme Q10 impairs oxidative phosphorylation and increases the vulnerability of cells to damage from free radicals. A deficiency of coenzyme Q10 may also disrupt the production of pyrimidines. These changes can cause cells throughout the body to malfunction, which may help explain the variety of organs and tissues that can be affected by primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency.

More About This Health Condition

Other Names for This Gene

  • aarF domain containing kinase 4
  • aarF domain-containing protein kinase 4
  • ADCK4
  • atypical kinase COQ8B, mitochondrial isoform a
  • atypical kinase COQ8B, mitochondrial isoform b
  • coenzyme Q protein 8B
  • COQ8
  • FLJ12229
  • NPHS9

Additional Information & Resources

Tests Listed in the Genetic Testing Registry

Scientific Articles on PubMed

Catalog of Genes and Diseases from OMIM

Gene and Variant Databases

References

  • Acosta MJ, Vazquez Fonseca L, Desbats MA, Cerqua C, Zordan R, Trevisson E, Salviati L. Coenzyme Q biosynthesis in health and disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2016 Aug;1857(8):1079-1085. doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2016.03.036. Epub 2016 Apr 7. Citation on PubMed
  • Ashraf S, Gee HY, Woerner S, Xie LX, Vega-Warner V, Lovric S, Fang H, Song X, Cattran DC, Avila-Casado C, Paterson AD, Nitschke P, Bole-Feysot C, Cochat P, Esteve-Rudd J, Haberberger B, Allen SJ, Zhou W, Airik R, Otto EA, Barua M, Al-Hamed MH, Kari JA, Evans J, Bierzynska A, Saleem MA, Bockenhauer D, Kleta R, El Desoky S, Hacihamdioglu DO, Gok F, Washburn J, Wiggins RC, Choi M, Lifton RP, Levy S, Han Z, Salviati L, Prokisch H, Williams DS, Pollak M, Clarke CF, Pei Y, Antignac C, Hildebrandt F. ADCK4 mutations promote steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome through CoQ10 biosynthesis disruption. J Clin Invest. 2013 Dec;123(12):5179-89. doi: 10.1172/JCI69000. Epub 2013 Nov 25. Citation on PubMed or Free article on PubMed Central
  • Desbats MA, Lunardi G, Doimo M, Trevisson E, Salviati L. Genetic bases and clinical manifestations of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ 10) deficiency. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2015 Jan;38(1):145-56. doi: 10.1007/s10545-014-9749-9. Epub 2014 Aug 5. Citation on PubMed
  • Doimo M, Desbats MA, Cerqua C, Cassina M, Trevisson E, Salviati L. Genetics of coenzyme q10 deficiency. Mol Syndromol. 2014 Jul;5(3-4):156-62. doi: 10.1159/000362826. Citation on PubMed or Free article on PubMed Central
  • Gerards M, van den Bosch B, Calis C, Schoonderwoerd K, van Engelen K, Tijssen M, de Coo R, van der Kooi A, Smeets H. Nonsense mutations in CABC1/ADCK3 cause progressive cerebellar ataxia and atrophy. Mitochondrion. 2010 Aug;10(5):510-5. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2010.05.008. Epub 2010 May 23. Citation on PubMed
  • Korkmaz E, Lipska-Zietkiewicz BS, Boyer O, Gribouval O, Fourrage C, Tabatabaei M, Schnaidt S, Gucer S, Kaymaz F, Arici M, Dinckan A, Mir S, Bayazit AK, Emre S, Balat A, Rees L, Shroff R, Bergmann C, Mourani C, Antignac C, Ozaltin F, Schaefer F; PodoNet Consortium. ADCK4-Associated Glomerulopathy Causes Adolescence-Onset FSGS. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2016 Jan;27(1):63-8. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2014121240. Epub 2015 May 12. Citation on PubMed or Free article on PubMed Central
  • Salviati L, Trevisson E, Agosto C, Doimo M, Navas P. Primary Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency Overview. 2017 Jan 26 [updated 2023 Jun 8]. In: Adam MP, Feldman J, Mirzaa GM, Pagon RA, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2025. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK410087/ Citation on PubMed

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