Since its discovery in 1957, Coenzyme Q has piqued the interest of scientists from a wide range of disciplines because of its bioenergetics, vitamin-like behavior, and interactions with antioxidant vitamins E and C. Coenzyme Q: Molecular Mechanisms in Health and Disease is a comprehensive treatise on this often-studied coenzyme. International experts cover the research that led to its emergence as an exciting, new dietary supplement. The present volume summarizes the latest developments in various areas of CoQ research. New concepts on extramitochondrial functions of CoQ are discussed in two chapters, while recent discoveries in biosynthetic pathways for CoQ based on molecular genetic approaches are presented in another chapter. Further chapters explore the role of CoQ as an antioxidant, revealing the need for additional research in this exciting area. This book will be of extreme interest to biochemists, biophysicists, molecular and cell biologists, as well as nutritionists and biomedical health workers.

Valerian E. Kagan, Peter J. Quinn