Meighen E A
Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
FASEB J. 1993 Aug;7(11):1016-22. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.7.11.8370470.
Significant advances have been made in the characterization of luciferases and other lux-specific proteins as well as the lux genes from a number of different species of marine and terrestrial luminescent bacteria. A common lux gene organization (luxCDAB..E) modulated by the presence of specific genes involved in regulation and flavin binding and metabolism (luxF-I,L,R,Y) has been found with the luciferase genes (luxAB) flanked by the genes involved in synthesis of its fatty aldehyde substrate (luxCDE). For many species, light intensity per cell is highly dependent on cellular growth resulting in a spectacular autoinduction of luminescence at high cell density. Consequently, the bacterial lux system is of particular interest as it can serve as an excellent model for more general signal transduction systems involved in developmental processes, intercellular communication, and even symbioses. Identification of the lux autoinducers and regulatory proteins of Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio fischeri has provided the biochemical and genetic basis for dissection of the luminescent system. Isolation of the lux genes and the ability to transfer these genes into prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms have greatly expanded the scope and potential uses of bacterial bioluminescence as a safe, rapid, and sensitive sensor for a wide variety of compounds and metabolic processes.
在对多种不同海洋和陆地发光细菌的荧光素酶及其他lux特异性蛋白以及lux基因的特性研究方面已经取得了重大进展。人们发现了一种常见的lux基因组织（luxCDAB..E），它受参与调控、黄素结合和代谢的特定基因（luxF - I、L、R、Y）的存在所调节，其中荧光素酶基因（luxAB）两侧是参与其脂肪醛底物合成的基因（luxCDE）。对于许多物种而言，每个细胞的光强度高度依赖于细胞生长，从而在高细胞密度时导致发光的显著自诱导。因此，细菌lux系统特别受关注，因为它可以作为涉及发育过程、细胞间通讯甚至共生关系的更一般信号转导系统的优秀模型。哈维弧菌和费氏弧菌的lux自诱导物和调节蛋白的鉴定为剖析发光系统提供了生化和遗传基础。lux基因的分离以及将这些基因转移到原核生物和真核生物中的能力极大地扩展了细菌生物发光作为多种化合物和代谢过程的安全、快速且灵敏传感器的范围和潜在用途。
