Illuminating luciferin bioluminescence in dinoflagellates

甲藻中的荧光素生物发光

• 批准号: 2890129
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2890129
• 关键词: Illuminating; luciferin; bioluminescence; dinoflagellates

Noctiluca scintillans (the sea sparkle) and other dinoflagellates are responsible for most bioluminescence in European seas and familiar blue-glow blooms. Dinoflagellate bioluminescence has a currently unclear ecological role, but its apparent importance in marine food webs [2,3] highlights the need to understand its environmental regulation and molecular underpinning. Fundamental gaps in knowledge include how bioluminescence varies within natural populations [3] and how dinoflagellates produce luciferin [1]. We hypothesize that (a) Bioluminescence intensity and protein expression vary among individual cells and are circadian-regulated; (b) Luciferin is generated by an oxygenase enzyme from the pyropheophorbide a molecule. The investigation of these issues will help illuminate the environmental role of bioluminescence and accelerate the industrial use of dinoflagellate luciferin.

夜光藻（海洋闪光）和其他甲藻是欧洲海洋中大部分生物发光和熟悉的蓝色发光花朵的原因。甲藻生物发光的生态作用目前尚不清楚，但其在海洋食物网中的明显重要性[2,3]凸显了了解其环境调节和分子基础的必要性。知识方面的基本差距包括生物发光在自然种群中如何变化[3]以及甲藻如何产生荧光素[1]。我们假设（a）生物发光强度和蛋白质表达在个体细胞之间存在差异并且受昼夜节律调节； (b) 荧光素是由焦脱镁叶绿酸 a 分子的加氧酶产生的。这些问题的研究将有助于阐明生物发光的环境作用并加速甲藻荧光素的工业应用。