The luminescence of the deep-sea shark Etmopterus spinax is not bacterial.
(2018) 20th International Symposium on Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence, 28-31 may, — Location: Nantes, France (28.May.2018)
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- Abstract
- Five years ago, a first attempt to characterize the chemistry of the luminous system in the velvet belly lantern shark, Etmopterus spinax, was not conclusive. Despite that three potential sources of luciferin were found in the diet of the shark, none of the classical cross-reaction using tetrapyrrole luciferin, coelenterazine and cypridinid luciferin were able to highlight a luciferin/luciferase reaction within the photophores extract of the shark. In this work, the possibility of the presence of extrinsic luminescence, i.e. light production from bacterial origin within the photophore was tested using in situ hybridization and PCR methods. Results clearly indicate that no luminous bacteria are involved in the shark light production. This is also in agreement with ultrastructural studies using TEM that allow to follow changes within the photocytes (luminous cells) in the photophores of E. spinax. This later study led to the description of a new microsource, called glowon. Moreover, no bacteria were observed within photocytes. The nature of the luminous system in the velvet belly lantern shark remains undetermined. New approaches should be developed to identify it; the presence of a luminous system either involving one of the main marine luciferins in an unknown specific active or storage form, or a totally new light-emitting molecule should be addressed.
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Mallefet, J., Duchatelet, L., Henry, P., Henriet, O., & Mahillon, J. (2018). The luminescence of the deep-sea shark Etmopterus spinax is not bacterial. 20th International Symposium on Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence, 28-31 may, Nantes, France. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/56078