Team:Cambridge/Bioluminescence/Background

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{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/headerbar|colour=#386abc|title=Project Vibrio: Background}}
{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/headerbar|colour=#386abc|title=Project Vibrio: Background}}
{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/Topheader|header=The Lux System}}
{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/Topheader|header=The Lux System}}
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[[Image:Bioluminescence bacteria vibrio bioglyphs.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Vibrio harveyi in the Bioglyphs project]]
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{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/RightImage|image=Bioluminescence bacteria vibrio bioglyphs.jpg|caption=Vibrio harveyi in the Bioglyphs project by the Montana State University School of Art }}
The Lux operon is a set of genes active in bacterial luminescence. Homologues are found in different species of luminescent bacteria, such as ''Vibrio fischeri'', ''Vibrio harveyi'', ''Vibrio'' (formerly ''Photobacterium'') ''phosphoreum'', ''Photobacterium leiognathi'' and ''Photorhabdus (Xenorhabdus) luminescens''. Between these species there are slight differences in the order of genes. In the most studied species, ''V. fischeri'', the system consists of two translated regions, a leftward region containing the LuxR gene and a rightward region containing the genes LuxI, C, D, A, B, E and G in this order. LuxA and LuxB encode the two subunits of the bacterial luciferase, while the products of LuxC, LuxD and LuxE synthesize the substrate for the light emitting reaction, tetradecanal. The exact function of LuxG is unknown, and it appears to be non-essential for light emission, but its presence increases light output. Due to the specific codon usage in the Lux operon, LuxA and LuxB are translated at a five times higher level than C, D, E and G. In ''V.fischeri'' and many other species, the expression of the Lux system is tightly coupled with the intra-specific quorum sensing mechanisms. Thus bioluminescence is controlled by the physiological state of the cell (availability of substrates) as well as the state of the colony (concentration of quorum-sensing molecules)
The Lux operon is a set of genes active in bacterial luminescence. Homologues are found in different species of luminescent bacteria, such as ''Vibrio fischeri'', ''Vibrio harveyi'', ''Vibrio'' (formerly ''Photobacterium'') ''phosphoreum'', ''Photobacterium leiognathi'' and ''Photorhabdus (Xenorhabdus) luminescens''. Between these species there are slight differences in the order of genes. In the most studied species, ''V. fischeri'', the system consists of two translated regions, a leftward region containing the LuxR gene and a rightward region containing the genes LuxI, C, D, A, B, E and G in this order. LuxA and LuxB encode the two subunits of the bacterial luciferase, while the products of LuxC, LuxD and LuxE synthesize the substrate for the light emitting reaction, tetradecanal. The exact function of LuxG is unknown, and it appears to be non-essential for light emission, but its presence increases light output. Due to the specific codon usage in the Lux operon, LuxA and LuxB are translated at a five times higher level than C, D, E and G. In ''V.fischeri'' and many other species, the expression of the Lux system is tightly coupled with the intra-specific quorum sensing mechanisms. Thus bioluminescence is controlled by the physiological state of the cell (availability of substrates) as well as the state of the colony (concentration of quorum-sensing molecules)

Revision as of 02:00, 27 October 2010