Bioluminescent bacteria

Bioluminescent bacteria are light-producing bacteria that are predominantly present in sea water, marine sediments, the surface of decomposing fish and in the gut of marine animals. While not as common, bacterial bioluminescence is also found in terrestrial and freshwater bacteria. These bacteria may be free living (such as Vibrio harveyi) or in symbiosis with animals such as the Hawaiian Bobtail squid (Aliivibrio fischeri) or terrestrial nematodes (Photorhabdus luminescens). The host organisms provide these bacteria a safe home and sufficient nutrition. In exchange, the hosts use the light produced by the bacteria for camouflage, prey and/or mate attraction. Bioluminescent bacteria have evolved symbiotic relationships with other organisms in which both participants benefit close to equally. Another possible reason bacteria use luminescence reaction is for quorum sensing, an ability to regulate gene expression in response to bacterial cell density.Photorhabdus luminescensShewanella hanedaiAliivibrio logeiPhotobacterium damselaeVibrio 'beijerinckii' Bioluminescent bacteria are light-producing bacteria that are predominantly present in sea water, marine sediments, the surface of decomposing fish and in the gut of marine animals. While not as common, bacterial bioluminescence is also found in terrestrial and freshwater bacteria. These bacteria may be free living (such as Vibrio harveyi) or in symbiosis with animals such as the Hawaiian Bobtail squid (Aliivibrio fischeri) or terrestrial nematodes (Photorhabdus luminescens). The host organisms provide these bacteria a safe home and sufficient nutrition. In exchange, the hosts use the light produced by the bacteria for camouflage, prey and/or mate attraction. Bioluminescent bacteria have evolved symbiotic relationships with other organisms in which both participants benefit close to equally. Another possible reason bacteria use luminescence reaction is for quorum sensing, an ability to regulate gene expression in response to bacterial cell density. Records of bioluminescent bacteria existed for thousands of years. They appear in the folklore of many regions, including Scandinavia and the Indian subcontinent. Both Aristotle and Charles Darwin have described the phenomenon of the oceans glowing. Since its discovery less than 30 years ago, the enzyme luciferase and its regulatory gene, lux, have led to major advances in molecular biology, through use as a reporter gene. Luciferase was first purified by McElroy and Green in 1955. It was later discovered that there were two subunits to luciferase, called subunits α and β. The genes encoding these enzymes, luxA and luxB, respectively, were first isolated in the lux operon of Aliivibrio fisheri . The wide-ranged biological purposes of bio-luminescence include but are not limited to attraction of mates, defense against predators, and warning signals. In the case of bioluminescent bacteria, bio-luminescence mainly serves as a form of dispersal. It has been hypothesized that enteric bacteria (bacteria that survive in the guts of other organisms) - especially those prevalent in the depths of the ocean - employ bio-luminescence as an effective form of distribution. After making their way into the digestive tracts of fish and other marine organisms and being excreted in fecal pellets, bioluminescent bacteria are able to utilize their bio-luminescent capabilities to lure in other organisms and prompt ingestion of these bacterial-containing fecal pellets. The bio-luminescence of bacteria thereby ensures their survival, persistence, and dispersal as they are able to enter and inhabit other organisms. The regulation of bio-luminescence in bacteria is achieved through the regulation of the oxidative enzyme called luciferase. It is important that bio-luminescent bacteria decrease production rates of luciferase when the population is sparse in number in order to conserve energy. Thus, bacterial bioluminescence is regulated by means of chemical communication referred to as quorum sensing. Essentially, certain signaling molecules named autoinducers with specific bacterial receptors become activated when the population density of bacteria is high enough. The activation of these receptors leads to a coordinated induction of luciferase production that ultimately yields visible luminescence. The chemical reaction that is responsible for bio-luminescence is catalyzed by the enzyme luciferase. In the presence of oxygen, luciferase catalyzes the oxidation of an organic molecule called luciferin. Though bio-luminescence across a diverse range of organisms such as bacteria, insects, and dinoflagellates function in this general manner (utilizing luciferase and luciferin), there are different types of luciferin-luciferase systems. For bacterial bio-luminescence specifically, the biochemical reaction involves the oxidation of an aliphatic aldehyde by a reduced flavin mononucleotide. The products of this oxidation reaction include an oxidized flavin mononucleotide, a fatty acid chain, and energy in the form of a blue-green visible light.