Progress in the Study of Bioluminescent Earthworms

22Citations
Citations of this article
23Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Even though bioluminescent oligochaetes rarely catch people's eyes due to their secretive lifestyle, glowing earthworms sighting reports have come from different areas on all continents except Antarctica. A major breakthrough in the research of earthworm bioluminescence occurred in the 1960s with the studies of the North American Diplocardia longa. Comparative studies conducted on 13 earthworm species belonging to six genera showed that N-isovaleryl-3-aminopropanal (Diplocardia luciferin) is the common substrate for bioluminescence in all examined species, while luciferases appeared to be responsible for the color of bioluminescence. The second momentous change in the situation has occurred with the discovery in Siberia (Russia) of two unknown luminous enchytraeids. The two bioluminescent systems belong to different types, have different spectral characteristics and localization, and different temperature and pH optima. They are unique, and this fact is confirmed by the negative results of all possible cross-reactions. The bioluminescent system of Henlea sp. comprises four essential components: luciferase, luciferin, oxygen and calcium ion. For Friderica heliota, the luminescent reaction requires five components: luciferase, luciferin, ATP, magnesium ion and oxygen. Along with luciferin, more than a dozen analogues were isolated from worm biomass. These novel peptide-like natural compounds represent an unprecedented chemistry found in terrestrial organisms.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Rodionova, N. S., Rota, E., Tsarkova, A. S., & Petushkov, V. N. (2017, March 1). Progress in the Study of Bioluminescent Earthworms. Photochemistry and Photobiology. Blackwell Publishing Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12709

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free