Examples of BIoluminescence in the following topics:
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- A special category of symbiotic relationships involve bioluminescence, where light producing bacteria are hosted by another organism.
- One of the best studied examples of bioluminescence is the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its mutualistic bacteria, Aliivibrio fischeri.
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- The most commonly used reporter genes have biofluorescent or bioluminescent characteristics and can be visualized with the aid of microscopy and other non-invasive imaging equipments.
- Luciferase, isolated from fireflies, is an enzyme present in the cells of bioluminescent organisms that catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin and ATP producing light.
- Thus, only those cells in which the tagged gene is expressed, or the target proteins are produced, will fluoresce when observed under fluorescence microscopy , or bioluminesce (emit light) when luciferin, the substrate for luciferase is added.
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- When the population density of the bacteria reached a certain level, specific gene expression was initiated: the bacteria produced bioluminescent proteins that emitted light.
- (b) Hawaiian bobtail squid have a symbiotic relationship with the bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri.
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- Some dinoflagellates generate light, called bioluminescence, when they are jarred or stressed.
- Bioluminescence is emitted from dinoflagellates in a breaking wave, as seen from the New Jersey coast.
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- For instance, the bioluminescent luciferase produced by Vibrio fischeri would not be visible if it were produced by a single cell.