Pyrroloquinoline quinone as an essential growth factor for a poly(vinyl alcohol)-degrading symbiont, Pseudomonas sp. VM15C.

Abstract

From a supernatant of a mixed continuous culture of Pseudomonas sp. VM15C and Pseudomonas putida VM15A, of which the former produced a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-degrading enzyme and the latter an essential growth factor (trivial name, factor A) for PVA utilization by the former, purified factor A showing homogeneity on high performance liquid chromatography was obtained. From spectral and other evidence, factor A was identified as pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). PQQ was effective in not only causing growth of the PVA-degrading bacterium on PVA but also in enhancing the growth rate and the cell yield at concentrations of 0.05 to 4ng/ml. Thus, a novel coenzyme, PQQ, was reported as a bacterial growth factor for the first time.