Evidence for de novo Biosynthesis of the Luminous Substrate Coelenterazine in Ctenophores

• Main Authors: Manabu Bessho-Uehara, Wentao Huang, Wyatt L. Patry, William E. Browne, Jing-Ke Weng, Steven H.D. Haddock
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-12-01
• Series: iScience
• Subjects: Biosynthesis; Biomolecules; Evolutionary Developmental Biology; Evolutionary History
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220310567

Summary: Coelenterazine is a key substrate involved in marine bioluminescence which is used for light-production by at least nine phyla. Some luminous animals, such as the hydromedusa Aequorea, lack the ability to produce coelenterazine endogenously and instead depend on dietary sources. Little is known about the source organisms or the metabolic process of coelenterazine biosynthesis. Here, we present evidence that ctenophores are both producers and suppliers of coelenterazine in marine ecosystems. Using biochemical assays and mass spectrometry analyses, we detected coelenterazine from cultured ctenophores fed with a non-luminous coelenterazine-free diet. We propose that ctenophores are an emerging model organism to study coelenterazine biosynthesis and the origins of bioluminescence.