Sandbox 167
Lingulodinium polyedrum dinoflagellate luciferase
|
Lingulodinium polyedrum, a marine dinoflagellate often responsible for red tide, posesses a unique-domain luciferase enyzme. When mechanically stimulated, the organism uses this enzyme to produce a blue light, likely for use in quorum sensing.
IntroductionIntroduction
In L. polyedrum, the luciferase enzyme is a single polypeptide chain folded into 3 similiar domains. Each domain participates in its own reaction with luciferin, allowing for simultaneous luciferase reactions to take place on the same protein.
Luciferase ReactionLuciferase Reaction
Typically, luciferases produce light through a high energy complex with a luciferin cofactor, and ATP. In L. polyedrum, the process is pH specific, requiring an optimal pH of about