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An ancestral luciferase in the Malpighi tubules of a non-bioluminescent beetle!

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Abstract

The evolutionary origin of beetle bioluminescence is enigmatic. Previously, weak luciferase activity was found in the non-bioluminescent larvae of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), but the detailed tissular origin and identity of the luciferase-like enzyme remained unknown. Using a closely related giant mealworm, Zophobas morio, here we show that the luciferase-like enzyme is located in the Malpighi tubules. cDNA cloning of this luciferase like enzyme, showed that it is a short AMP-ligase with weak luciferase activity which diverged long ago from beetle luciferases. The results indicate that the potential for bioluminescence in AMP-ligases is very ancient and provide a first reasonable protoluciferase model to investigate the origin and evolution of beetle luciferases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Bioluminescência e Biotecnologia, UNISO, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Campus de Sorocaba, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil

    V. R. Viviani, R. A. Prado, F. C. G. Arnoldi & F. C. Abdalla

  2. Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    V. R. Viviani & R. A. Prado

  3. Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, UNESP, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

    F. C. G. Arnoldi

Authors
  1. V. R. Viviani
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  2. R. A. Prado
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  3. F. C. G. Arnoldi
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  4. F. C. Abdalla
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Correspondence to V. R. Viviani.

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Viviani, V.R., Prado, R.A., Arnoldi, F.C.G. et al. An ancestral luciferase in the Malpighi tubules of a non-bioluminescent beetle!. Photochem Photobiol Sci 8, 57–61 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1039/b817114a

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/b817114a

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