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Scientists from IBCh RAS and their colleagues describe a new type of luciferase from a previously unexplored bioluminescent system
Scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS) and their colleagues have identified, cloned and characterized the luciferase of the fungus gnat Keroplatus testaceus for the first time. The study strongly suggests that the newly identified enzyme evolved from the storage protein hexamerin, revealing a previously unknown evolutionary pathway for the emergence of bioluminescence in insects. These findings reveal the molecular basis of light emission in dipteran insects and pave the way for the development of new biomedical imaging tools.
Researchers from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS) and their colleagues have identified, cloned, and characterized a luciferase from a dipteran insect for the first time. The enzyme was isolated from the fungus gnat Keroplatus testaceus. Among insects, bioluminescent species have been described in the orders Coleoptera (beetles), and Diptera (true flies). Although the mechanisms underlying beetle bioluminescence have been studied extensively, the structures of the key components of dipteran bioluminescent systems remained unknown despite repeated attempts by researchers over the past several decades.
The authors investigated the structure, genomic context, and evolutionary history of the newly discovered enzyme. Their findings suggest that the luciferase evolved from hexamerin, a storage protein, revealing a unique and previously unknown evolutionary transition from hemocyanins through hexamerins to luciferase.
At the same time, reconstruction of the K. testaceus genome and analysis of the surrounding genomic region showed that the luciferase gene has a single-exon structure and is located within the conserved E(spl) locus, which is involved in regulating a broad range of processes during insect development. The researchers also identified a closely related paralog adjacent to the luciferase gene, indicating a recent gene-duplication event and possible neofunctionalization.
The bioluminescent systems of dipteran insects are unique and distinct from any currently known. These findings fill a long-standing gap in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying insect bioluminescence and open new possibilities for the development of molecular imaging tools for biomedical research. The study was published in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
july 31