GENETICALLY ENCODED AUTONOMOUS BIOLUMINESCENCE IN EUKARYOTES
Ilia Yampolsky
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Many living organisms emit light, a phenomenon known as bioluminescence. The energy required for light production is generated by the oxidation of a small organic molecule – luciferin, catalyzed by a specific enzyme – luciferase. Luminous taxa have currently been reported from about 800 genera. The chemical nature and mechanisms of action of the few known types of bioluminescence substrates (luciferins) are as diverse as their phylogenetic distribution. Despite being widely used in reporter technologies, bioluminescent systems are largely understudied. Of at least forty different bioluminescent systems thought to exist in nature, molecular components of only ten light-emitting reactions are known, and the full biochemical pathway leading to light emission is only understood for two of them.
In this talk, the recently discovered bioluminescent systems, namely those of the Siberian soil worm Fridericia, marine polychaete “fireworm” Odontosyllis and higher fungi (mushrooms) will be presented. Particularly, the chemical structures of the new luciferins, their mechanisms of luminescent oxidation and biosynthesis will be highlighted (1). Finally, the use of fungal bioluminescence enzymatic cascade termed “the caffeic acid cycle” for creating autonomously glowing eukaryotes will be demonstrated (2).
REFERENCES
1. Kaskova ZM, Dörr FA, Petushkov VN, Purtov KV, Tsarkova AS, Rodionova NS, et al. Mechanism and color modulation of fungal bioluminescence. Science Advances. 2017; 3(4):e1602847.
2. Mitiouchkina T, Mishin AS, Somermeyer LG, Markina NM, Chepurnyh TV, Guglya EB, et al. Plants with genetically encoded autoluminescence. Nat Biotechnol. 2020; 38, 944–946.
The reported studies were supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 17-14-01169p and by the President of Russian Federation grant for Leading Scientific Schools LS-2605.2020.4.
Speaker
Ilia Yampolsky
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry,
Moscow, Russia
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