Electron carrier

Electron carriers are a vital functional class of molecules and protein complexes that shuttle electrons between donors and acceptors in metabolic pathways, particularly the mitochondrial electron transport chain and photosynthesis (StatPearls, 2023). This class includes mobile proteins like Cytochrome c, small lipophilic molecules like Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10), and nucleotide cofactors such as NAD+ and FAD (UniProt, 2011; CK-12, 2025). Their primary biological role is to facilitate the flow of electrons to generate the proton gradient required for ATP synthesis while maintaining cellular redox balance. Dysfunctions in electron transport are linked to a wide array of pathologies, including mitochondrial myopathies, neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, and cancer metabolism (PubMed, 2024). Although 'Electron carrier' is a broad category rather than a single specific target, individual members are pharmacologically significant; for instance, Idebenone serves as a synthetic carrier to bypass respiratory chain defects, and inhibitors like Metformin target complexes that utilize these carriers to treat metabolic syndrome (PubMed, 2024; StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

Redox carrierElectron shuttleMobile electron carrierRespiratory chain component

Drugs targeting electron carriers either act as synthetic shuttles to bypass blocked pathways or inhibit specific complexes to disrupt metabolic energy production or induce cell death.