Biosynthesis of coelenterazine in the deep-sea copepod, Metridia pacifica
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-860 (Japan)
- Yokohama Research Center, Chisso Co., 5-1 Okawa, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-8605 (Japan)
Coelenterazine is an imidazopyrazinone compound (3,7-dihydroimidazopyrazin-3-one structure) that is widely distributed in marine organisms and used as a luciferin for various bioluminescence reactions. We have used electrospray ionization-ion trap-mass spectrometry to investigate whether the deep-sea luminous copepod Metridia pacifica is able to synthesize coelenterazine. By feeding experiments using deuterium labeled amino acids of L-tyrosine and L-phenylalanine, we have shown that coelenterazine can be synthesized from two molecules of L-tyrosine and one molecule of L-phenylalanine in M. pacifica. This is the first demonstration that coelenterazine is biosynthesized from free L-amino acids in a marine organism.
- OSTI ID:
- 22199917
- Journal Information:
- Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 390, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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