Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and its derivatives are present in tissues and biological fluids at concentrations ranging from nanomolar to micormolar amounts. PQQ also elicits important physiological and developmental responses and improves growth, particularly during the neonatal period. The P.I.'s group has developed models to study the effects of PQQ deprivation. Accordingly, the primary objective of this proposal is to establish why PQQ functions as a growth factor or coenzyme in animals, and to establish why PQQ is nutritionally important during the period of neonatal development. Whether or not PQQ plays an essential role in metabolism, however, is controversial. Although there is good acceptance that PQQ has pharmacological activity, additional work is necessary to place PQQ in the category of a """"""""conditional"""""""" nutrient., cofactor, or growth factor. The P.I.'s overall hypothesis is that PQQ or a related derivative is nutritionally important and is conditionally essential in a nutritional context. There are three principal aims: 1) to describe the physiological and nutrition effects of altered PQQ status at periods important to reproduction, lactation, and early development, 2) to determine how tissue levels of PQQ are regulated, and 3) to determine if PQQ synthesis occurs in mammalian cells. Methods are in place to permit nutritional studies at the current state of the art in this regard using chemically defined diets. Novel approaches are presented for the synthesis of radiochemically labeled forms of PQQ using plasmids containing recombinant genes for PQQ synthesis transfected into E.Coli. that are auxotrophic for PQQ precursors. Mass spectral analysis will be used to define PQQ and PQQ adducts.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21DK056031-01
Application #
2881993
Study Section
Metabolism Study Section (MET)
Program Officer
May, Michael K
Project Start
1999-09-01
Project End
2002-08-31
Budget Start
1999-09-01
Budget End
2000-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Davis
Department
Nutrition
Type
Schools of Earth Sciences/Natur
DUNS #
094878337
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618