Molecular basis for the blue bioluminescence of the Australian glow-worm Arachnocampa richardsae (Diptera: Keroplatidae)

作者：Trowell Stephen C^*; Dacres Helen; Dumancic Mira M; Leitch Virginia; Rickards Rodney W

来源：Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2016, 478(2): 533-539.

DOI：10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.07.081

• Bioluminescence
• Luciferase
• Firefly
• Glow-worm
• Luciferin
• Arachnocampa

Bioluminescence is the emission of visible light by living organisms. Here we describe the isolation and characterisation of a cDNA encoding a MW approximate to 59,000 Da luciferase from the Australian glow-worm, Arachnocampa richardsae. The enzyme is a member of the acyl-CoA ligase superfamily and produces blue light on addition of D-luciferin. These results are contrary to earlier reports (Lee, J., Photochem Photobiol 24, 279-285 (1976), Viviani, V. R., Hastings, J. W. & Wilson, T., Photochem Photobiol 75, 22-27 (2002)), which suggested glow-worm luciferase has MW approximate to 36,000 Da and is unreactive with beetle luciferin. There are more than 2000 species of firefly, which all produce emissions from D-luciferin in the green to red regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although blue-emitting luciferases are known from marine organisms, they belong to different structural families and use a different substrate. The observation of blue emission from a D-luciferin-using enzyme is therefore unprecedented.

• 出版日期2016-9-16
• 单位CSIRO