We have expressed the pqqABCDE gene cluster from Gluconobacter oxydans, which is involved in pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthesis, in Escherichia coli, resulting in PQQ accumulation in the medium. Since the gene cluster does not include the tldD gene needed for PQQ production, this result suggests that the E. coli tldD gene, which shows high homology to the G. oxydans tldD gene, carries out that function. The synthesis of PQQ activated d-glucose dehydrogenase in E. coli and the growth of the recombinant was improved. In an attempt to increase the production of PQQ, which acts as a vitamin or growth factor, we transformed E. coli with various recombinant plasmids, resulting in the overproduction of the PQQ synthesis enzymes and, consequently, PQQ accumulation--up to 6 mM--in the medium. This yield is 21.5-fold higher than that obtained in previous studies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.