Identification and characterization of the pqqDGC gene cluster involved in pyrroloquinoline quinone production in an obligate methylotroph Methylobacillus flagellatum.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone is a prosthetic group of bacterial methanol dehydrogenases as well as some alcohol and glucose dehydrogenases. Genes involved in pyrroloquinoline quinone production have previously been cloned from the representatives of the alpha and gamma subdivisions of the Proteobacteria. We report identification and the sequence of the pqqDGC gene cluster in the obligate methylotroph, Methylobacillus flagellatum, which belongs to the beta subdivision. The deduced products of the pqq genes from M. flagellatum appear to be more similar to their counterparts from non-methylotrophic species of the gamma subdivision than to a facultative methylotroph of the alpha subdivision. A non-polar mutation in pqqG was constructed and resulted in a strain impaired in growth on methanol. This mutant accumulated a detectable amount of intracellular pyrroloquinoline quinone, but in contrast to the wild type, did not excrete pyrroloquinoline quinone into the culture medium. The possible role of PqqG is discussed.