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Biochemistry

Is pyrroloquinoline quinone a vitamin?

Nature volume 433, pages E10–E11 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Arising from: T. Kasahara & T. Kato Nature 422, 832 (2003); see also communication from Felton and Anthony; Kasahara et al. reply The announcement by Kasahara and Kato1 of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as a ‘new’ vitamin has received considerable attention. We have since attempted to reproduce the findings on which their conclusion is based, namely that defects in lysine metabolism occur in PQQ-deprived rodents. However, we find that the activity of α-aminoadipic acid-δ-semialdehyde (AAS) dehydrogenase in liver and plasma levels of α-aminoadipic acid (AAA), both of which act as indicators of lysine degradation in mammals, are not affected by changes in PQQ dietary status. Our results call into question the identification of PQQ as a new vitamin.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    Robert Rucker, David Storms, Annemarie Sheets & Eskouhie Tchaparian

  2. Department of Molecular Bioscience, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    Andrea Fascetti

Authors
  1. Robert Rucker
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  2. David Storms
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  3. Annemarie Sheets
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  4. Eskouhie Tchaparian
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  5. Andrea Fascetti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Rucker.

Additional information

Reply: T. Kasahara and T. Kato reply to this communication (doi:10.1038/nature03324).

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Cite this article

Rucker, R., Storms, D., Sheets, A. et al. Is pyrroloquinoline quinone a vitamin?. Nature 433, E10–E11 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03323

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