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Schramm S, Weiß D. Bioluminescence - The Vibrant Glow of Nature and its Chemical Mechanisms. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400106. [PMID: 38469601 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Bioluminescence, the mesmerizing natural phenomenon where living organisms produce light through chemical reactions, has long captivated scientists and laypersons alike, offering a rich tapestry of insights into biological function, ecology, evolution as well as the underlying chemistry. This comprehensive introductory review systematically explores the phenomenon of bioluminescence, addressing its historical context, geographic dispersion, and ecological significance with a focus on their chemical mechanisms. Our examination begins with terrestrial bioluminescence, discussing organisms from different habitats. We analyze thefireflies of Central Europe's meadows and the fungi in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. Additionally, we inspect bioluminescent species in New Zealand, specifically river-dwelling snails and mosquito larvae found in Waitomo Caves. Our exploration concludes in the Siberian Steppes, highlighting the area's luminescent insects and annelids. Transitioning to the marine realm, the second part of this review examines marine bioluminescent organisms. We explore this phenomenon in deep-sea jellyfish and their role in the ecosystem. We then move to Toyama Bay, Japan, where seasonal bioluminescence of dinoflagellates and ostracods present a unique case study. We also delve into the bacterial world, discussing how bioluminescent bacteria contribute to symbiotic relationships. For each organism, we contextualize its bioluminescence, providing details about its discovery, ecological function, and geographical distribution. A special focus lies on the examination of the underlying chemical mechanisms that enables these biological light displays. Concluding this review, we present a series of practical bioluminescence and chemiluminescence experiments, providing a resource for educational demonstrations and student research projects. Our goal with this review is to provide a summary of bioluminescence across the diverse ecological contexts, contributing to the broader understanding of this unique biological phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms serving researchers new to the field, educators and students alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schramm
- University of Applied Sciences Dresden (HTW Dresden), Friedrich-List-Platz 1, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dieter Weiß
- Institut für Organische und Makromolekulare Chemie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743, Jena, Germany
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Shakhova ES, Karataeva TA, Markina NM, Mitiouchkina T, Palkina KA, Perfilov MM, Wood MG, Hoang TT, Hall MP, Fakhranurova LI, Alekberova AE, Malyshevskaia AK, Gorbachev DA, Bugaeva EN, Pletneva LK, Babenko VV, Boldyreva DI, Gorokhovatsky AY, Balakireva AV, Gao F, Choob VV, Encell LP, Wood KV, Yampolsky IV, Sarkisyan KS, Mishin AS. An improved pathway for autonomous bioluminescence imaging in eukaryotes. Nat Methods 2024; 21:406-410. [PMID: 38253843 PMCID: PMC10927554 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02152-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of the bioluminescence pathway in the fungus Neonothopanus nambi enabled engineering of eukaryotes with self-sustained luminescence. However, the brightness of luminescence in heterologous hosts was limited by performance of the native fungal enzymes. Here we report optimized versions of the pathway that enhance bioluminescence by one to two orders of magnitude in plant, fungal and mammalian hosts, and enable longitudinal video-rate imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina S Shakhova
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana A Karataeva
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda M Markina
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Mitiouchkina
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kseniia A Palkina
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim M Perfilov
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | | | | | - Anna E Alekberova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alena K Malyshevskaia
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry A Gorbachev
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Vladislav V Babenko
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria I Boldyreva
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Y Gorokhovatsky
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia V Balakireva
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Feng Gao
- Synthetic Biology Group, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Vladimir V Choob
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Botanical Garden of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Ilia V Yampolsky
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Light Bio Inc, Ketchum, ID, USA
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Karen S Sarkisyan
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia.
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
- Synthetic Biology Group, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, London, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Light Bio Inc, Ketchum, ID, USA.
| | - Alexander S Mishin
- Planta LLC, Moscow, Russia.
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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Wang Q, Hu Z, Li Z, Liu T, Bian G. Exploring the Application and Prospects of Synthetic Biology in Engineered Living Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023:e2305828. [PMID: 37677048 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202305828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
At the intersection of synthetic biology and materials science, engineered living materials (ELMs) exhibit unprecedented potential. Possessing unique "living" attributes, ELMs represent a significant paradigm shift in material design, showcasing self-organization, self-repair, adaptability, and evolvability, surpassing conventional synthetic materials. This review focuses on reviewing the applications of ELMs derived from bacteria, fungi, and plants in environmental remediation, eco-friendly architecture, and sustainable energy. The review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research progress and emerging design strategies for ELMs in various application fields from the perspectives of synthetic biology and materials science. In addition, the review provides valuable references for the design of novel ELMs, extending the potential applications of future ELMs. The investigation into the synergistic application possibilities amongst different species of ELMs offers beneficial reference information for researchers and practitioners in this field. Finally, future trends and development challenges of synthetic biology for ELMs in the coming years are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Wang
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Center of Materials Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhehui Hu
- Center of Materials Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhixuan Li
- Center of Materials Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Tiangang Liu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Guangkai Bian
- Center of Materials Synthetic Biology, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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