12th International Symposium on Bioluminescence & Chemiluminescence

Symposium abstracts:

Effect of SAM-related structural and regulatory proteins on luminescence in Vibrio harveyi

Miyamoto, Carol M., Lin, Leo C-Y., Huang, So-Yi, Meighen, Edward A.

Dept of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada

Email: meighen@med.mcgill.ca

The induction of luminescence in Vibrio harveyi is dependent on the production of two different autoinducers (AI-1 and AI-2) both of which are believed to arise from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). AI-1 is N- hydroxybutanoylhomoserine lactone (HBHL) while the structure of the second autoinducer, A1-2 is proposed to be a furanone. Recently we have found that some of the proteins involved in the regulation and metabolism of methionine and/or SAM greatly affect the level of luminescence in autoinducer deficient mutants of V. harveyi. As these proteins can be related to the synthesis and degradation of SAM, elucidation of the mechanism by which these proteins affect luminescence including potential effects on the levels of autoinducers and other regulatory elements involved in the quorum sensing system are of primary interest. These studies should prove valuable in identifying the control and specific pathways responsible for the synthesis of the autoinducers (Supported by a grant, MT-7672, from the Canadian Institute of Health Research [CIHR]).

This is a preprint of an article accepted for publication in Luminescence: Copyright 2001 John
Wiley & Sons, Ltd (Wiley website)