| Grant number: | 15/25834-7 |
| Support Opportunities: | Regular Research Grants |
| Start date: | March 01, 2016 |
| End date: | February 28, 2018 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology |
| Principal Investigator: | Anderson Garbuglio de Oliveira |
| Grantee: | Anderson Garbuglio de Oliveira |
| Host Institution: | Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
Abstract
Bioluminescence, the emission of cold and visible light by living beings, is an extremely important biological process. The vast majority of bioluminescent organisms live in the ocean, and of the more than 700 genera known to contain luminous species, 80% are marine. From polar to tropical environments these organisms occupy a diverse range of habitats from surface waters throughout the ocean down to the sea floor. Different chemical mechanisms and a wide range of phylogenetic distributions in these luminescent organisms show its ecological advantages. However, the origins, functions and the chemical nature of some bioluminescent systems still remain unclear.Among some of those poorly understood bioluminescent mechanisms, is the marine annelid Chaetopterus variopedatus. The luminescent reactions reported in vitro for this annelid are slower and less efficient when compared to their natural bioluminescence. The true intrinsic activation factor in their luminescence is still undetermined.This project aims to isolate and characterize the luciferin and photoprotein involved in the light emission mechanism of the annelid C. variopedatus. In addition, new bioluminescent systems from organisms collected on the Brazilian coast will also be investigated. (AU)
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