Biosynthesis of coelenterazine in the deep-sea copepod, Metridia pacifica

Coelenterazine is an imidazopyrazinone compound (3,7-dihydroimidazopyrazin-3-one structure) that is widely distributed in marine organisms and used as a luciferin for various bioluminescence reactions. We have used electrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry to investigate whether the deep-se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2009-12, Vol.390 (3), p.684-688
Main Authors: Oba, Yuichi, Kato, Shin-ichi, Ojika, Makoto, Inouye, Satoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
Animals
BIOLUMINESCENCE
BIOSYNTHESIS
Copepoda - chemistry
Copepoda - genetics
Copepoda - metabolism
COPEPODS
Cypridina luciferin
DEUTERIUM
HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY
Imidazoles - metabolism
LUCIFERASE
LUCIFERIN
Luminescent Agents - chemistry
Luminescent Agents - metabolism
Marine
Mass spectrometry
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
Metridia pacifica
PHENYLALANINE
Phenylalanine - metabolism
Pyrazines - metabolism
TYROSINE
Tyrosine - metabolism
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Summary:Coelenterazine is an imidazopyrazinone compound (3,7-dihydroimidazopyrazin-3-one structure) that is widely distributed in marine organisms and used as a luciferin for various bioluminescence reactions. We have used electrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry to investigate whether the deep-sea luminous copepod Metridia pacifica is able to synthesize coelenterazine. By feeding experiments using deuterium labeled amino acids of l-tyrosine and l-phenylalanine, we have shown that coelenterazine can be synthesized from two molecules of l-tyrosine and one molecule of l-phenylalanine in M. pacifica. This is the first demonstration that coelenterazine is biosynthesized from free l-amino acids in a marine organism.
ISSN:0006-291X
1090-2104
DOI:10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.10.028