Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates as a Bioassay for Toxicity Assessment

Dinoflagellates bioluminescence mechanism depends upon a luciferin–luciferase reaction that promotes blue light emission (480 nm) in specialized luminogenic organelles called scintillons. The scintillons contain luciferin, luciferase and, in some cases, a luciferin-binding protein (LBP), which preve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2022-11, Vol.23 (21), p.13012
Main Authors: Perin, Luíza S., Moraes, Gabriela V., Galeazzo, Gabriela A., Oliveira, Anderson G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
19th century
Bacteria
Bioassays
Biocompatibility
Bioluminescence
Contaminants
Dinoflagellata
Dinoflagellates
Enzymes
In vivo methods and tests
Light
Light emission
Marine environment
Metals
Microorganisms
Organelles
Organic compounds
Organisms
Oxidation
Pollutants
Proteins
Review
Seawater
Toxicity
Toxicity testing
Vertebrates
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Summary:Dinoflagellates bioluminescence mechanism depends upon a luciferin–luciferase reaction that promotes blue light emission (480 nm) in specialized luminogenic organelles called scintillons. The scintillons contain luciferin, luciferase and, in some cases, a luciferin-binding protein (LBP), which prevents luciferin from non-enzymatic oxidation in vivo. Even though dinoflagellate bioluminescence has been studied since the 1950s, there is still a lack of mechanistic understanding on whether the light emission process involves a peroxidic intermediate or not. Still, bioassays employing luminous dinoflagellates, usually from Gonyaulax or Pyrocystis genus, can be used to assess the toxicity of metals or organic compounds. In these dinoflagellates, the response to toxicity is observed as a change in luminescence, which is linked to cellular respiration. As a result, these changes can be used to calculate a percentage of light inhibition that correlates directly with toxicity. This current approach, which lies in between fast bacterial assays and more complex toxicity tests involving vertebrates and invertebrates, can provide a valuable tool for detecting certain pollutants, e.g., metals, in marine sediment and seawater. Thus, the present review focuses on how the dinoflagellates bioluminescence can be applied to evaluate the risks caused by contaminants in the marine environment.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms232113012