1
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Collins SB, Bracken-Grissom HD. The language of light: a review of bioluminescence in deep-sea decapod shrimps. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1806-1830. [PMID: 38706106 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
In the dark, expansive habitat of the deep sea, the production of light through bioluminescence is commonly used among a wide range of taxa. In decapod crustaceans, bioluminescence is only known in shrimps (Dendrobranchiata and Caridea) and may occur in different modes, including luminous secretions that are used to deter predators and/or from specialised light organs called photophores that function by providing camouflage against downwelling light. Photophores exhibit an extensive amount of morphological variation across decapod families: they may be internal (of hepatic origin) or embedded in surface tissues (dermal), and may possess an external lens, suggesting independent origins and multiple functions. Within Dendrobranchiata, we report bioluminescence in Sergestidae, Aristeidae, and Solenoceridae, and speculate that it may also be found in Acetidae, Luciferidae, Sicyonellidae, Benthesicymidae, and Penaeidae. Within Caridea, we report bioluminescence in Acanthephyridae, Oplophoridae, Pandalidae, and new observations for Pasiphaeidae. This comprehensive review includes historic taxonomic literature and recent studies investigating bioluminescence in all midwater and deep benthic shrimp families. Overall, we report known or suspected bioluminescence in 157 species across 12 families of decapod shrimps, increasing previous records of bioluminescent species by 65%. Mounting evidence from personal observations and the literature allow us to speculate the presence of light organs in several families thought to lack bioluminescence, making this phenomenon much more common than previously reported. We provide a detailed discussion of light organ morphology and function within each group and indicate future directions that will contribute to a better understanding of how deep-sea decapods use the language of light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stormie B Collins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Institute of Environment, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Heather D Bracken-Grissom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Institute of Environment, 3000 NE 151st St, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, WA, 20013-7012, USA
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2
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Coubris C, Duchatelet L, Delroisse J, Bayaert WS, Parise L, Eloy MC, Pels C, Mallefet J. Maintain the light, long-term seasonal monitoring of luminous capabilities in the brittle star Amphiura filiformis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13238. [PMID: 38853171 PMCID: PMC11163003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64010-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The European brittle star Amphiura filiformis emits blue light, via a Renilla-like luciferase, which depends on the dietary acquisition of coelenterazine. Questions remain regarding luciferin availability across seasons and the persistence of luminous capabilities after a single boost of coelenterazine. To date, no study has explored the seasonal, long-term monitoring of these luminous capabilities or the tracking of luciferase expression in photogenic tissues. Through multidisciplinary analysis, we demonstrate that luminous capabilities evolve according to the exogenous acquisition of coelenterazine throughout adult life. Moreover, no coelenterazine storage forms are detected within the arms tissues. Luciferase expression persists throughout the seasons, and coelenterazine's presence in the brittle star diet is the only limiting factor for the bioluminescent reaction. No seasonal variation is observed, involving a continuous presence of prey containing coelenterazine. The ultrastructure description provides a morphological context to investigate the green autofluorescence signal attributed to coelenterazine during luciferin acquisition. Finally, histological analyses support the hypothesis of a pigmented sheath leading light to the tip of the spine. These insights improve our understanding of the bioluminescence phenomenon in this burrowing brittle star.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Coubris
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Laurent Duchatelet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Delroisse
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000, Mons, Belgium
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, GIGA Institute, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Wendy Shirley Bayaert
- Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, 23 Place du Parc, 7000, Mons, Belgium
| | - Laura Parise
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie Christine Eloy
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Christophe Pels
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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3
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Iwanicki T, Steck M, Bracken-Grissom H, Porter ML. Localization of multiple opsins in ocular and non-ocular tissues of deep-sea shrimps and the first evidence of co-localization in a rhabdomeric R8 cell (Caridea: Oplophoroidea). Vision Res 2024; 219:108403. [PMID: 38581820 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a prevalent phenomenon throughout the marine realm and is often the dominant source of light in mesophotic and aphotic depth horizons. Shrimp belonging to the superfamily Oplophoroidea are mesopelagic, perform diel vertical migration, and secrete a bright burst of bioluminescent mucous when threatened. Species in the family Oplophoridae also possess cuticular light-emitting photophores presumably for camouflage via counter-illumination. Many species within the superfamily express a single visual pigment in the retina, consistent with most other large-bodied mesopelagic crustaceans studied to date. Photophore-bearing species have an expanded visual opsin repertoire and dual-sensitivity visual systems, as evidenced by transcriptomes and electroretinograms. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to describe opsin protein localization in the retinas of four species of Oplophoroidea and non-ocular tissues of Janicella spinicauda. Our results show that Acanthephyra purpurea (Acanthephyridae) retinas possess LWS-only photoreceptors, consistent with the singular peak sensitivity previously reported. Oplophoridae retinas contain two opsin clades (LWS and MWS) consistent with dual-sensitivity. Oplophorus gracilirostris and Systellaspis debilis have LWS in the proximal rhabdom (R1-7 cells) and MWS2 localized in the distal rhabdom (R8 cell). Surprisingly, Janicella spinicauda has LWS in the proximal rhabdom (R1-7) and co-localized MWS1 and MWS2 opsin paralogs in the distal rhabdom, providing the first evidence of co-localization of opsins in a crustacean rhabdomeric R8 cell. Furthermore, opsins were found in multiple non-ocular tissues of J. spinicauda, including nerve, tendon, and photophore. These combined data demonstrate evolutionary novelty and opsin duplication within Oplophoridae, with implications for visual ecology, evolution in mesophotic environments, and a mechanistic understanding of adaptive counter-illumination using photophore bioluminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Iwanicki
- The Earth Commons Institute, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, United States; School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States; Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Washington, DC 20013, United States.
| | - Mireille Steck
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
| | - Heather Bracken-Grissom
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Washington, DC 20013, United States; Institute of Environment, Department of Biology, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, United States
| | - Megan L Porter
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, United States
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4
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Zhu C, Lu X, Cai T, Zhu K, Shi L, Chen Y, Wang T, Yang Y, Tu D, Fu Q, Huang J, Zhen Y. Firefly toxin lucibufagins evolved after the origin of bioluminescence. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae215. [PMID: 38919269 PMCID: PMC11197309 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Fireflies were believed to originally evolve their novel bioluminescence as warning signals to advertise their toxicity to predators, which was later adopted in adult mating. Although the evolution of bioluminescence has been investigated extensively, the warning signal hypothesis of its origin has not been tested. In this study, we test this hypothesis by systematically determining the presence or absence of firefly toxin lucibufagins (LBGs) across firefly species and inferring the time of origin of LBGs. We confirm the presence of LBGs in the subfamily Lampyrinae, but more importantly, we reveal the absence of LBGs in other lineages, including the subfamilies of Luciolinae, Ototretinae, and Psilocladinae, two incertae sedis lineages, and the Rhagophthalmidae family. Ancestral state reconstructions for LBGs based on firefly phylogeny constructed using genomic data suggest that the presence of LBGs in the common ancestor of the Lampyrinae subfamily is highly supported but unsupported in more ancient nodes, including firefly common ancestors. Our results suggest that firefly LBGs probably evolved much later than the evolution of bioluminescence. We thus conclude that firefly bioluminescence did not originally evolve as direct warning signals for toxic LBGs and advise that future studies should focus on other hypotheses. Moreover, LBG toxins are known to directly target and inhibit the α subunit of Na+, K+-ATPase (ATPα). We further examine the effects of amino acid substitutions in firefly ATPα on its interactions with LBGs. We find that ATPα in LBG-containing fireflies is relatively insensitive to LBGs, which suggests that target-site insensitivity contributes to LBG-containing fireflies' ability to deal with their own toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengqi Zhu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Xiaoli Lu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Tianlong Cai
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Kangli Zhu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Lina Shi
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yinjuan Chen
- Instrumentation and Service Center for Molecular Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310030, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yaoming Yang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Dandan Tu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Qi Fu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Ying Zhen
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences and Research Center for Industries of the Future, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
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5
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Kates HR, O'Meara BC, LaFrance R, Stull GW, James EK, Liu SY, Tian Q, Yi TS, Conde D, Kirst M, Ané JM, Soltis DE, Guralnick RP, Soltis PS, Folk RA. Shifts in evolutionary lability underlie independent gains and losses of root-nodule symbiosis in a single clade of plants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4262. [PMID: 38802387 PMCID: PMC11130336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48036-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Root nodule symbiosis (RNS) is a complex trait that enables plants to access atmospheric nitrogen converted into usable forms through a mutualistic relationship with soil bacteria. Pinpointing the evolutionary origins of RNS is critical for understanding its genetic basis, but building this evolutionary context is complicated by data limitations and the intermittent presence of RNS in a single clade of ca. 30,000 species of flowering plants, i.e., the nitrogen-fixing clade (NFC). We developed the most extensive de novo phylogeny for the NFC and an RNS trait database to reconstruct the evolution of RNS. Our analysis identifies evolutionary rate heterogeneity associated with a two-step process: An ancestral precursor state transitioned to a more labile state from which RNS was rapidly gained at multiple points in the NFC. We illustrate how a two-step process could explain multiple independent gains and losses of RNS, contrary to recent hypotheses suggesting one gain and numerous losses, and suggest a broader phylogenetic and genetic scope may be required for genome-phenome mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Kates
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Brian C O'Meara
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA
| | - Raphael LaFrance
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gregory W Stull
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Euan K James
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Shui-Yin Liu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Qin Tian
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Ting-Shuang Yi
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Daniel Conde
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, 28223, Spain
| | - Matias Kirst
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Ané
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Douglas E Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Pamela S Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ryan A Folk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.
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6
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Lau ES, Goodheart JA, Anderson NT, Liu VL, Mukherjee A, Oakley TH. Similar enzymatic functions in distinct bioluminescence systems: evolutionary recruitment of sulfotransferases in ostracod light organs. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20230585. [PMID: 38746983 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Genes from ancient families are sometimes involved in the convergent evolutionary origins of similar traits, even across vast phylogenetic distances. Sulfotransferases are an ancient family of enzymes that transfer sulfate from a donor to a wide variety of substrates, including probable roles in some bioluminescence systems. Here, we demonstrate multiple sulfotransferases, highly expressed in light organs of the bioluminescent ostracod Vargula tsujii, transfer sulfate in vitro to the luciferin substrate, vargulin. We find luciferin sulfotransferases (LSTs) of ostracods are not orthologous to known LSTs of fireflies or sea pansies; animals with distinct and convergently evolved bioluminescence systems compared to ostracods. Therefore, distantly related sulfotransferases were independently recruited at least three times, leading to parallel evolution of luciferin metabolism in three highly diverged organisms. Reuse of homologous genes is surprising in these bioluminescence systems because the other components, including luciferins and luciferases, are completely distinct. Whether convergently evolved traits incorporate ancient genes with similar functions or instead use distinct, often newer, genes may be constrained by how many genetic solutions exist for a particular function. When fewer solutions exist, as in genetic sulfation of small molecules, evolution may be more constrained to use the same genes time and again.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Lau
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jessica A Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10025, USA
| | - Nolan T Anderson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Vannie L Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Todd H Oakley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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7
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DeLeo DM, Bessho-Uehara M, Haddock SH, McFadden CS, Quattrini AM. Evolution of bioluminescence in Anthozoa with emphasis on Octocorallia. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232626. [PMID: 38654652 PMCID: PMC11040251 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a widespread phenomenon that has evolved multiple times across the tree of life, converging among diverse fauna and habitat types. The ubiquity of bioluminescence, particularly in marine environments where it is commonly used for communication and defense, highlights the adaptive value of this trait, though the evolutionary origins and timing of emergence remain elusive for a majority of luminous organisms. Anthozoan cnidarians are a diverse group of animals with numerous bioluminescent species found throughout the world's oceans, from shallow waters to the light-limited deep sea where bioluminescence is particularly prominent. This study documents the presence of bioluminescent Anthozoa across depth and explores the diversity and evolutionary origins of bioluminescence among Octocorallia-a major anthozoan group of marine luminous organisms. Using a phylogenomic approach and ancestral state reconstruction, we provide evidence for a single origin of bioluminescence in Octocorallia and infer the age of occurrence to around the Cambrian era, approximately 540 Ma-setting a new record for the earliest timing of emergence of bioluminescence in the marine environment. Our results further suggest this trait was largely maintained in descendants of a deep-water ancestor and bioluminescent capabilities may have facilitated anthozoan diversification in the deep sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M. DeLeo
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Manabu Bessho-Uehara
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Steven H.D. Haddock
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Andrea M. Quattrini
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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8
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Claes JM, Haddock SHD, Coubris C, Mallefet J. Systematic Distribution of Bioluminescence in Marine Animals: A Species-Level Inventory. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:432. [PMID: 38672704 PMCID: PMC11051050 DOI: 10.3390/life14040432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is the production of visible light by an organism. This phenomenon is particularly widespread in marine animals, especially in the deep sea. While the luminescent status of numerous marine animals has been recently clarified thanks to advancements in deep-sea exploration technologies and phylogenetics, that of others has become more obscure due to dramatic changes in systematics (themselves triggered by molecular phylogenies). Here, we combined a comprehensive literature review with unpublished data to establish a catalogue of marine luminescent animals. Inventoried animals were identified to species level in over 97% of the cases and were associated with a score reflecting the robustness of their luminescence record. While luminescence capability has been established in 695 genera of marine animals, luminescence reports from 99 additional genera need further confirmation. Altogether, these luminescent and potentially luminescent genera encompass 9405 species, of which 2781 are luminescent, 136 are potentially luminescent (e.g., suggested luminescence in those species needs further confirmation), 99 are non-luminescent, and 6389 have an unknown luminescent status. Comparative analyses reveal new insights into the occurrence of luminescence among marine animal groups and highlight promising research areas. This work will provide a solid foundation for future studies related to the field of marine bioluminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien M. Claes
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (C.C.); (J.M.)
| | - Steven H. D. Haddock
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - Constance Coubris
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (C.C.); (J.M.)
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (C.C.); (J.M.)
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9
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Lau ES, Goodheart JA, Anderson NT, Liu VL, Mukherjee A, Oakley TH. Similar enzymatic functions in distinct bioluminescence systems: Evolutionary recruitment of sulfotransferases in ostracod light organs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.12.536614. [PMID: 37090632 PMCID: PMC10120648 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Genes from ancient families are sometimes involved in the convergent evolutionary origins of similar traits, even across vast phylogenetic distances. Sulfotransferases are an ancient family of enzymes that transfer sulfate from a donor to a wide variety of substrates, including probable roles in some bioluminescence systems. Here we demonstrate multiple sulfotransferases, highly expressed in light organs of the bioluminescent ostracod Vargula tsujii , transfer sulfate in vivo to the luciferin substrate, vargulin. We find luciferin sulfotransferases of ostracods are not orthologous to known luciferin sulfotransferases of fireflies or sea pansies; animals with distinct and convergently evolved bioluminescence systems compared to ostracods. Therefore, distantly related sulfotransferases were independently recruited at least three times, leading to parallel evolution of luciferin metabolism in three highly diverged organisms. Re-use of homologous genes is surprising in these bioluminescence systems because the other components, including luciferins and luciferases, are completely distinct. Whether convergently evolved traits incorporate ancient genes with similar functions or instead use distinct, often newer, genes may be constrained by how many genetic solutions exist for a particular function. When fewer solutions exist, as in genetic sulfation of small molecules, evolution may be more constrained to use the same genes time and again.
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10
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Coubris C, Duchatelet L, Dupont S, Mallefet J. A brittle star is born: Ontogeny of luminous capabilities in Amphiura filiformis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298185. [PMID: 38466680 PMCID: PMC10927081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is the production of visible light by living organisms thanks to a chemical reaction, implying the oxidation of a substrate called luciferin catalyzed by an enzyme, the luciferase. The luminous brittle star Amphiura filiformis depends on coelenterazine (i.e., the most widespread luciferin in marine ecosystems) and a luciferase homologous to the cnidarian Renilla luciferase to produce blue flashes in the arm's spine. Only a few studies have focused on the ontogenic apparitions of bioluminescence in marine organisms. Like most ophiuroids, A. filiformis displays planktonic ophiopluteus larvae for which the ability to produce light was not investigated. This study aims to document the apparition of the luminous capabilities of this species during its ontogenic development, from the egg to settlement. Through biochemical assays, pharmacological stimulation, and Renilla-like luciferase immunohistological detection across different developing stages, we pointed out the emergence of the luminous capabilities after the ophiopluteus larval metamorphosis into a juvenile. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the larval pelagic stage of A. filiformis is not bioluminescent compared to juveniles and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Coubris
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Laurent Duchatelet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Sam Dupont
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
- IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Radioecology Laboratory, Monaco City, Monaco
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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11
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Park MJ, Kim E, Kim MJ, Jang Y, Ryoo R, Ka KH. Cloning and Expression Analysis of Bioluminescence Genes in Omphalotus guepiniiformis Reveal Stress-Dependent Regulation of Bioluminescence. MYCOBIOLOGY 2024; 52:42-50. [PMID: 38415178 PMCID: PMC10896133 DOI: 10.1080/12298093.2024.2302661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a type of chemiluminescence that arises from a luciferase-catalyzed oxidation reaction of luciferin. Molecular biology and comparative genomics have recently elucidated the genes involved in fungal bioluminescence and the evolutionary history of their clusters. However, most studies on fungal bioluminescence have been limited to observing the changes in light intensity under various conditions. To understand the molecular basis of bioluminescent responses in Omphalotus guepiniiformis under different environmental conditions, we cloned and sequenced the genes of hispidin synthase, hispidin-3-hydroxylase, and luciferase enzymes, which are pivotal in the fungal bioluminescence pathway. Each gene showed high sequence similarity to that of other luminous fungal species. Furthermore, we investigated their transcriptional changes in response to abiotic stresses. Wound stress enhanced the bioluminescence intensity by increasing the expression of bioluminescence pathway genes, while temperature stress suppressed the bioluminescence intensity via the non-transcriptional pathway. Our data suggested that O. guepiniiformis regulates bioluminescence to respond differentially to specific environmental stresses. To our knowledge, this is the first study on fungal bioluminescence at the gene expression level. Further studies are required to address the biological and ecological meaning of different bioluminescence responses in changing environments, and O. quepiniiformis could be a potential model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Jeong Park
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjin Kim
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jun Kim
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongseon Jang
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Rhim Ryoo
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang-Hyeon Ka
- Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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12
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Ramírez Martínez C, Gómez-Pérez LS, Ordaz A, Torres-Huerta AL, Antonio-Perez A. Current Trends of Bacterial and Fungal Optoproteins for Novel Optical Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14741. [PMID: 37834188 PMCID: PMC10572898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoproteins, luminescent proteins or optoproteins are a kind of light-response protein responsible for the conversion of light into biochemical energy that is used by some bacteria or fungi to regulate specific biological processes. Within these specific proteins, there are groups such as the photoreceptors that respond to a given light wavelength and generate reactions susceptible to being used for the development of high-novel applications, such as the optocontrol of metabolic pathways. Photoswitchable proteins play important roles during the development of new materials due to their capacity to change their conformational structure by providing/eliminating a specific light stimulus. Additionally, there are bioluminescent proteins that produce light during a heatless chemical reaction and are useful to be employed as biomarkers in several fields such as imaging, cell biology, disease tracking and pollutant detection. The classification of these optoproteins from bacteria and fungi as photoreceptors or photoresponse elements according to the excitation-emission spectrum (UV-Vis-IR), as well as their potential use in novel applications, is addressed in this article by providing a structured scheme for this broad area of knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Aurora Antonio-Perez
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Estado de México, Av. Lago de Guadalupe KM 3.5, Margarita Maza de Juárez, Ciudad López Mateos, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Estado de México, Mexico; (C.R.M.); (L.S.G.-P.); (A.O.); (A.L.T.-H.)
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13
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Ellis EA, Goodheart JA, Hensley NM, González VL, Reda NJ, Rivers TJ, Morin JG, Torres E, Gerrish GA, Oakley TH. Sexual Signals Persist over Deep Time: Ancient Co-option of Bioluminescence for Courtship Displays in Cypridinid Ostracods. Syst Biol 2023; 72:264-274. [PMID: 35984328 PMCID: PMC10448971 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the diversity, beauty, and intricacy of sexually selected courtship displays command the attention of evolutionists, the longevity of these traits in deep time is poorly understood. Population-based theory suggests sexual selection could either lower or raise extinction risk, resulting in high or low persistence of lineages with sexually selected traits. Furthermore, empirical studies that directly estimate the longevity of sexually selected traits are uncommon. Sexually selected signals-including bioluminescent courtship-originated multiple times during evolution, allowing the empirical study of their longevity after careful phylogenetic and divergence time analyses. Here, we estimate the first transcriptome-based molecular phylogeny and divergence times of Cypridinidae. We report extreme longevity of bioluminescent courtship, a trait important in mate choice and probably under sexual selection. Our relaxed-clock estimates of divergence times coupled with stochastic character mapping show luminous courtship evolved only once in Cypridinidae-in a Sub-Tribe, we name Luxorina-at least 151 millions of years ago from cypridinid ancestors that used bioluminescence only in antipredator displays, defining a Tribe we name Luminini. This time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of cypridinids will serve as a foundation for integrative and comparative studies on the biochemistry, molecular evolution, courtship, diversification, and ecology of cypridinid bioluminescence. The persistence of luminous courtship for hundreds of millions of years suggests that sexual selection did not cause a rapid loss of associated traits, and that rates of speciation within the group exceeded extinction risk, which may contribute to the persistence of a diverse clade of signaling species. [Ancestral state reconstruction; Biodiversity; co-option; divergence time estimates; macroevolution; Ostracoda; phylogenomics; sexual selection.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Ellis
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jessica A Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037,
USA
| | - Nicholai M Hensley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University,
Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Vanessa L González
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, National
Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution NW, Washington, DC
20560-0105, USA
| | - Nicholas J Reda
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La
Crosse, WI 54601, USA
| | - Trevor J Rivers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - James G Morin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Elizabeth Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Gretchen A Gerrish
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La
Crosse, WI 54601, USA
- Trout Lake Station, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin –
Madison, Boulder Junction, WI 54512, USA
| | - Todd H Oakley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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14
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Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates as a Bioassay for Toxicity Assessment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113012. [DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dinoflagellates bioluminescence mechanism depends upon a luciferin–luciferase reaction that promotes blue light emission (480 nm) in specialized luminogenic organelles called scintillons. The scintillons contain luciferin, luciferase and, in some cases, a luciferin-binding protein (LBP), which prevents luciferin from non-enzymatic oxidation in vivo. Even though dinoflagellate bioluminescence has been studied since the 1950s, there is still a lack of mechanistic understanding on whether the light emission process involves a peroxidic intermediate or not. Still, bioassays employing luminous dinoflagellates, usually from Gonyaulax or Pyrocystis genus, can be used to assess the toxicity of metals or organic compounds. In these dinoflagellates, the response to toxicity is observed as a change in luminescence, which is linked to cellular respiration. As a result, these changes can be used to calculate a percentage of light inhibition that correlates directly with toxicity. This current approach, which lies in between fast bacterial assays and more complex toxicity tests involving vertebrates and invertebrates, can provide a valuable tool for detecting certain pollutants, e.g., metals, in marine sediment and seawater. Thus, the present review focuses on how the dinoflagellates bioluminescence can be applied to evaluate the risks caused by contaminants in the marine environment.
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15
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Powell GS, Saxton NA, Pacheco YM, Stanger-Hall KF, Martin GJ, Kusy D, Felipe Lima Da Silveira L, Bocak L, Branham MA, Bybee SM. Beetle bioluminescence outshines extant aerial predators. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220821. [PMID: 35855602 PMCID: PMC9297012 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We understand very little about the timing and origins of bioluminescence, particularly as a predator avoidance strategy. Understanding the timing of its origins, however, can help elucidate the evolution of this ecologically important signal. Using fireflies, a prevalent bioluminescent group where bioluminescence primarily functions as aposematic and sexual signals, we explore the origins of this signal in the context of their potential predators. Divergence time estimations were performed using genomic-scale datasets providing a robust estimate for the origin of firefly bioluminescence as both a terrestrial and as an aerial signal. Our results recover the origin of terrestrial beetle bioluminescence at 141.17 (122.63-161.17) Ma and firefly aerial bioluminescence at 133.18 (117.86-152.47) Ma using a large dataset focused on Lampyridae; and terrestrial bioluminescence at 148.03 (130.12-166.80) Ma, with the age of aerial bioluminescence at 104.97 (99.00-120.90) Ma using a complementary Elateroidea dataset. These ages pre-date the origins of all known extant aerial predators (i.e. bats and birds) and support much older terrestrial predators (assassin bugs, frogs, ground beetles, lizards, snakes, hunting spiders and harvestmen) as the drivers of terrestrial bioluminescence in beetles. These ages also support the hypothesis that sexual signalling was probably the original function of this signal in aerial fireflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth S. Powell
- Department of Biology and Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Natalie A. Saxton
- Research and Collections Division, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Yelena M. Pacheco
- Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, 4510 Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall
- Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, 4510 Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Gavin J. Martin
- School of Math and Sciences, Laramie County Community College, 1400 E. College Dr., Cheyenne, WY 82007, USA
| | - Dominik Kusy
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute (CRH), Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Luiz Felipe Lima Da Silveira
- Biology Department, Western Carolina University, 206 Stillwell Building, 1 University Dr., Cullowhee, NC 2723, USA
| | - Ladislav Bocak
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution, Czech Advanced Technology Research Institute (CRH), Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, Olomouc 783 71, Czech Republic
| | - Marc A. Branham
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Seth M. Bybee
- Department of Biology and Monte L. Bean Museum, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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16
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Owens ACS, Dressler CT, Lewis SM. Costs and benefits of "insect friendly" artificial lights are taxon specific. Oecologia 2022; 199:487-497. [PMID: 35650413 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05189-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of human activity into natural habitats often results in the introduction of artificial light at night, which can disrupt local ecosystems. Recent advances in LED technology have enabled spectral tuning of artificial light sources, which could in theory limit their impact on vulnerable taxa. To date, however, experimental comparisons of ecologically friendly candidate colors have often considered only one type of behavioral impact, sometimes on only single species. Resulting recommendations cannot be broadly implemented if their consequences for other local taxa are unknown. Working at a popular firefly ecotourism site, we exposed the insect community to artificial illumination of three colors (blue, broad-spectrum amber, red) and measured flight-to-light behavior as well as the courtship flash behavior of male Photinus carolinus fireflies. Firefly courtship activity was greatest under blue and red lights, while the most flying insects were attracted to blue and broad-spectrum amber lights. Thus, while impacts of spectrally tuned artificial light varied across taxa, our results suggest that red light, rather than amber light, is least disruptive to insects overall, and therefore more generally insect friendly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avalon C S Owens
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
| | - Caroline T Dressler
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, 80 Waterman Street, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Sara M Lewis
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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17
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Ludt WB, Clardy TR. First detection of biofluorescence in a deep-sea anglerfish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 100:843-846. [PMID: 34982469 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biofluorescence has been observed in a variety of fishes, but is rare in deep-sea environments where light from the surface cannot reach. Here, we document biofluorescence in an oceanic anglerfish, the Pacific footballfish. Green biofluorescence was observed in small spots on the distal surface of the esca. While the wavelength of bioluminescent light is unknown for this species, it is possible that light produced by this species also results in biofluorescent emission that may create a more complex lure for attracting prey or mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Ludt
- Department of Ichthyology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Todd R Clardy
- Department of Ichthyology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
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18
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Kanie S, Komatsu M, Mitani Y. Molecular insights into luminescence system of the pelagic shrimp Lucensosergia lucens. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2022; 86:368-373. [PMID: 35025982 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Lucensosergia lucens is a luminous marine shrimp that has been suggested to use a coelenterazine-dependent luminescence system. However, the genetic information related to the luminescence system is lacking. Our RNA-Seq analysis of this shrimp did not show the existence of known or homologous coelenterazine-dependent luciferase genes. Subsequent biochemical analyses suggested that the shrimp possessed unknown proteinaceous components for coelenterazine luminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shusei Kanie
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
| | - Mami Komatsu
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Mitani
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sapporo, Japan
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19
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Acquisition of bioluminescent trait by non-luminous organisms from luminous organisms through various origins. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2021; 20:1547-1562. [PMID: 34714534 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-021-00124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescence is a natural light emitting phenomenon that occurs due to a chemical reaction between luciferin and luciferase. It is primarily an innate and inherited trait in most terrestrial luminous organisms. However, most luminous organisms produce light in the ocean by acquiring luminous symbionts, luciferin (substrate), and/or luciferase (enzyme) through various transmission pathways. For instance, coelenterazine, a well-known luciferin, is obtained by cnidarians, crustaceans, and deep-sea fish through multi-level dietary linkages from coelenterazine producers such as ctenophores, decapods, and copepods. In contrast, some non-luminous Vibrio bacteria became bioluminescent by obtaining lux genes from luminous Vibrio species by horizontal gene transfer. Various examples detailed in this review show how non-luminescent organisms became luminescent by acquiring symbionts, dietary luciferins and luciferases, and genes. This review highlights three modes (symbiosis, ingestion, and horizontal gene transfer) that allow organisms lacking genes for autonomous bioluminescent systems to obtain the ability to produce light. In addition to bioluminescence, this manuscript discusses the acquisition of other traits such as pigments, fluorescence, toxins, and others, to infer the potential processes of acquisition.
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20
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Bioluminescence and Photoreception in Unicellular Organisms: Light-Signalling in a Bio-Communication Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111311. [PMID: 34768741 PMCID: PMC8582858 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence, the emission of light catalysed by luciferases, has evolved in many taxa from bacteria to vertebrates and is predominant in the marine environment. It is now well established that in animals possessing a nervous system capable of integrating light stimuli, bioluminescence triggers various behavioural responses and plays a role in intra- or interspecific visual communication. The function of light emission in unicellular organisms is less clear and it is currently thought that it has evolved in an ecological framework, to be perceived by visual animals. For example, while it is thought that bioluminescence allows bacteria to be ingested by zooplankton or fish, providing them with favourable conditions for growth and dispersal, the luminous flashes emitted by dinoflagellates may have evolved as an anti-predation system against copepods. In this short review, we re-examine this paradigm in light of recent findings in microorganism photoreception, signal integration and complex behaviours. Numerous studies show that on the one hand, bacteria and protists, whether autotrophs or heterotrophs, possess a variety of photoreceptors capable of perceiving and integrating light stimuli of different wavelengths. Single-cell light-perception produces responses ranging from phototaxis to more complex behaviours. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that unicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotes can perform complex tasks ranging from habituation and decision-making to associative learning, despite lacking a nervous system. Here, we focus our analysis on two taxa, bacteria and dinoflagellates, whose bioluminescence is well studied. We propose the hypothesis that similar to visual animals, the interplay between light-emission and reception could play multiple roles in intra- and interspecific communication and participate in complex behaviour in the unicellular world.
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21
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Tsarkova AS. Luciferins Under Construction: A Review of Known Biosynthetic Pathways. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.667829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence, or the ability of a living organism to generate visible light, occurs as a result of biochemical reaction where enzyme, known as a luciferase, catalyzes the oxidation of a small-molecule substrate, known as luciferin. This advantageous trait has independently evolved dozens of times, with current estimates ranging from the most conservative 40, based on the biochemical diversity found across bioluminescence systems (Haddock et al., 2010) to 100, taking into account the physiological mechanisms involved in the behavioral control of light production across a wide range of taxa (Davis et al., 2016; Verdes and Gruber, 2017; Bessho-Uehara et al., 2020a; Lau and Oakley, 2021). Chemical structures of ten biochemically unrelated luciferins and several luciferase gene families have been described; however, a full biochemical pathway leading to light emission has been elucidated only for two: bacterial and fungal bioluminescence systems. Although the recent years have been marked by extraordinary discoveries and promising breakthroughs in understanding the molecular basis of multiple bioluminescence systems, the mechanisms of luciferin biosynthesis for many organisms remain almost entirely unknown. This article seeks to provide a succinct overview of currently known luciferins’ biosynthetic pathways.
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22
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Evidence for de novo Biosynthesis of the Luminous Substrate Coelenterazine in Ctenophores. iScience 2020; 23:101859. [PMID: 33376974 PMCID: PMC7756133 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Coelenterazine is a key substrate involved in marine bioluminescence which is used for light-production by at least nine phyla. Some luminous animals, such as the hydromedusa Aequorea, lack the ability to produce coelenterazine endogenously and instead depend on dietary sources. Little is known about the source organisms or the metabolic process of coelenterazine biosynthesis. Here, we present evidence that ctenophores are both producers and suppliers of coelenterazine in marine ecosystems. Using biochemical assays and mass spectrometry analyses, we detected coelenterazine from cultured ctenophores fed with a non-luminous coelenterazine-free diet. We propose that ctenophores are an emerging model organism to study coelenterazine biosynthesis and the origins of bioluminescence.
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