The Chemical Basis of Fungal Bioluminescence |
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| Authors: | Dr Konstantin V Purtov Dr Valentin N Petushkov Dr Mikhail S Baranov Dr Konstantin S Mineev Dr Natalja S Rodionova Zinaida M Kaskova Aleksandra S Tsarkova Dr Alexei I Petunin Dr Vladimir S Bondar Dr Emma K Rodicheva Dr Svetlana E Medvedeva Prof Yuichi Oba Yumiko Oba Prof Alexander S Arseniev Prof Sergey Lukyanov Prof Josef I Gitelson Dr Ilia V Yampolsky |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Biophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russia);2. Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho‐Maklaya 16/10, Moscow 117997 (Russia);3. Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464‐8601 (Japan);4. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianov 1, Moscow 117997 (Russia) |
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| Abstract: | Many species of fungi naturally produce light, a phenomenon known as bioluminescence, however, the fungal substrates used in the chemical reactions that produce light have not been reported. We identified the fungal compound luciferin 3‐hydroxyhispidin, which is biosynthesized by oxidation of the precursor hispidin, a known fungal and plant secondary metabolite. The fungal luciferin does not share structural similarity with the other eight known luciferins. Furthermore, it was shown that 3‐hydroxyhispidin leads to bioluminescence in extracts from four diverse genera of luminous fungi, thus suggesting a common biochemical mechanism for fungal bioluminescence. |
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| Keywords: | bioluminescence bioorganic chemistry biosynthesis luciferin natural products |
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