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Biochemical explanations for folk tales:
A Vitamin in disguise?
Trends in Biochemical Sciences 11:511 (Dec. 1986)
The peculiar burst of appetite developed by some women during the
early months of pregnancy, form a well established domestic diagnosis for
this state. According to Dutch folklore, the food that is preferably
consumed during these periods of exaggerated appetite contains large
amounts of acetic acid from natural origin. In this respect, pickled
onions or cucumbers, herrings and salad dressings, all prepared with
vinegar, constitute favorite snacks. One may wonder whether there is,
apart from possible psychological reasons, any biological rationale
underlying this preference.
During our work on pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), the cofactor
of several bacterial oxidoreductases, we became aware of what might be
more than a remarkable coincidence.
(1) Recently we have obtained very convincing evidence for the
presence of PQQ as the organic cofactor of human placental oxidase
(unpublished, but see Ref. 1)
(2) The presence of PQQ in bovin plasma amine oxidase (2) and hog
liver diamine oxidase (3) suggests that PQQ will turn out to have the same
function in similar copper-containg amine oxidases from human tissues.
(3) As with other essential cofactors, mammals will probably rely
on dietary intake for their supply of PQQ.
(4) It is known that the levels of this type of amine oxidases
are raised substantially during pregnancy, the placenta being a major
source of these enzymes.(4)
(5) The presence of PQQ in table vinegars (originating from
PQQ-producing acetic acid bacteria) was established earlier.(5)
Putting these arguments together, a reasonable explanation for
the phenomenon mentioned above emerges: the increased demand for PQQ,
required to accomodate the increased levels of this type of amine
oxidases during pregnancy, is somehow translated into an urge for just
those foodstuffs that contain abundant amounts of the cofactor. This may
well constitute the first example of PQQ hypovitaminosis (and how it is
dealt with) in human beings.
Jaap A. Jongejan, Rob A Van Der Meer, Johannis A. Dunne
Dept of Microbiology and Enzymology
Technological University Delft,
Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands
1) Agric Biol Chem 48:561 (1984)
2) FEBS Lett 170:305 (1984)
3) Van der Meer, R.A. FEBS Lett (in press)
4) Clin Obstet Gynaecol 11:1081 (1968)
5) Proc FEBS Congr. PA, 79-88 (1985)
--
Craig Werner (MD/PhD '91)
!philabs!aecom!werner
(1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
"Well, do you see the spaghetti?"
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