High performance liquid chromatographic separation and pH-dependent electrochemical properties of pyrroloquinoline quinone and three closely related isomeric analogues.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone 1 (PQQ, methoxatin, 4,5-dihydro-4,5-dioxo-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxylic acid) is a novel coenzyme. Closely related isomeric analogues of PQQ may be formed in nature and may possess PQQ-like functions. Here, the electrochemical pH-dependent properties and the high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation protocols are reported for three major isomeric PQQ analogues likely to be formed in nature. The electrochemical data (cyclic voltammetry) provided the pKas of the five ionizable groups in each isomeric PQQ. The HPLC protocols provide the means of investigating the formation of PQQ and the PQQ isomers reported here during the normal turnover of eukaryotic amine oxidases containing integral topaquinone residues, as well as from direct enzyme-mediated reactions which remain to be characterized.