Microbial production of pyrroloquinoline quinone.

Abstract

The possibility of preparing pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a novel coenzyme, by a microbial method was proposed for the first time. PQQwas formed and accumulated in the culture mediumof various microorganisms. Of the tested strains, somemethylotrophs were most favorable for PQQ production and more than 10μg/ml ofPQQ was found in the culture mediumafter 2 days incubation. An attempt at the isolation and purification of PQQwas made successfully and spectral evidence was obtained suggesting that the purified PQQ was identical with authentic PQQ. The spectral similarity of PQQ to the chromophores isolated from methylamine dehydrogenase and copper containing amineoxidases wasalso indicated.