An ancestral luciferase in the Malpighi tubules of a non-bioluminescent beetle

The evolutionary origin of beetle bioluminescence is enigmatic. Previously, weak luciferase activity was found in the non-bioluminescent larvae of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), but the detailed tissular origin and identity of the luciferase-like enzyme remained unknown. Using a close...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Photochemical & photobiological sciences 2009-01, Vol.8 (1), p.57-61
Main Authors: Viviani, V. R., Prado, R. A., Arnoldi, F. C. G., Abdalla, F. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Biochemistry
Biomaterials
Chemistry
Cloning, Molecular
Coleoptera - enzymology
DNA, Complementary
Luciferases - chemistry
Luciferases - genetics
Luminescence
Malpighian Tubules - enzymology
Molecular Sequence Data
Phylogeny
Physical Chemistry
Plant Sciences
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The evolutionary origin of beetle bioluminescence is enigmatic. Previously, weak luciferase activity was found in the non-bioluminescent larvae of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), but the detailed tissular origin and identity of the luciferase-like enzyme remained unknown. Using a closely related giant mealworm, Zophobas morio , here we show that the luciferase-like enzyme is located in the Malpighi tubules. cDNA cloning of this luciferase like enzyme, showed that it is a short AMP-ligase with weak luciferase activity which diverged long ago from beetle luciferases. The results indicate that the potential for bioluminescence in AMP-ligases is very ancient and provide a first reasonable protoluciferase model to investigate the origin and evolution of beetle luciferases.
ISSN:1474-905X
1474-9092
DOI:10.1039/b817114a