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An emphatic study on the luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence system of Benthosema pterotum

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Abstract

Approximately 80% of luminous organisms live in the oceans, and considerable diversity of life dependence on bioluminescence has been observed in marine organisms. Among vertebrates, luminous fish species are the only group of vertebrates that have the ability to emit bioluminescent light. Meanwhile, the lantern fish family (Myctophidae), with 33 genera all of which have the ability to emit light, is considered the most prominent family among the luminous fish of the deep oceans and seas. Lantern fish Benthosema pterotum has bioluminescence properties due to the presence of photophores scattered in its ventral-lateral region. However, no research has been performed on its bioluminescence system and light emission mechanism. The present research aimed to assess the type of bioluminescence, pigment, photoprotein, or luciferin-luciferase system in B. pterotum. In order to determine the type of light-emitting system in B. pterotum species, several specific experiments were designed and performed. It was shown that the light emission system in B. pterotum species is categorized into the luciferin-luciferase type. Conducting this research was not only innovative, but it also could be the beginning of further research in the field of marine biochemistry and production of the recombinant active forms of enzymes for industrial, commercial, medical, and pharmaceutical purposes.

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All data were included in the manuscript.

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Funding

The authors express their gratitude to the research council of the University of Hormozgan for financial support during the course of this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, P.O. Box 3995, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Ahmad Homaei

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran

    Khosro Khajeh

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

    Reyhaneh Sariri

  4. Fisheries Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

    Ehsan Kamrani

Authors
  1. Ahmad Homaei
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  2. Khosro Khajeh
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  3. Reyhaneh Sariri
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  4. Ehsan Kamrani
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Contributions

Khosro Khajeh conceived and designed research. Ahmad Homaei conducted experiments. Ahmad Homaei, Khosro Khajeh, Reyhaneh Sariri and Ehsan Kamrani analyzed data. Ahmad Homaei wrote and Khosro Khajeh and Reyhaneh Sariri edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ahmad Homaei or Khosro Khajeh.

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Homaei, A., Khajeh, K., Sariri, R. et al. An emphatic study on the luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence system of Benthosema pterotum. Fish Physiol Biochem 49, 1409–1419 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01264-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-023-01264-8

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