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Team:Cambridge/Bioluminescence/Bacterial Luciferases
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{{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/RightImage|image=Cambridge-Photobacterium_plate.JPG|caption=One of the plates of <i>V. phosphoreum</i> we prepared.}} | {{:Team:Cambridge/Templates/RightImage|image=Cambridge-Photobacterium_plate.JPG|caption=One of the plates of <i>V. phosphoreum</i> we prepared.}} | ||
'''Project Vibrio''' was designed to complement Project Firefly, by using bacterial lux operons to do what had been impossible with firefly luciferases: | '''Project Vibrio''' was designed to complement Project Firefly, by using bacterial lux operons to do what had been impossible with firefly luciferases: | ||
| - | * Emission of blue light to | + | * Emission of blue light to complete our spectrum of emission wavelengths. |
* Substrate production within E. coli, avoiding the need for external addition of substrates, such as luciferin. | * Substrate production within E. coli, avoiding the need for external addition of substrates, such as luciferin. | ||
Revision as of 17:34, 23 October 2010
Project Vibrio: Introduction
One of the plates of V. phosphoreum we prepared.
Project Vibrio was designed to complement Project Firefly, by using bacterial lux operons to do what had been impossible with firefly luciferases:
- Emission of blue light to complete our spectrum of emission wavelengths.
- Substrate production within E. coli, avoiding the need for external addition of substrates, such as luciferin.
Bacterial lux operons can be found in a range of natural bioluminescent bacteria.
Pathway
Bacterial lux operons emit light using five enzymes:
- luxA and luxB form the luciferase of the system, they emit light using the substrate tetradecanal
- luxC, luxD and luxE are involved in the biosynthesis of tetradecanal from readily available substrates
Bioluminescent species
The Cambridge team is looking into these bacterial luciferases:
- Vibrio fischeri forms symbioses with squid to prevent the squid from casting a shadow on moonlit nights. Due to this their lux proteins are non-functional above 30 degrees
- Vibrio (formerly Photobacterium) phosphoreum emits a very blue light, perhaps partly through its use of lumazine
