Balanoglossus biminiensis

Dure and Cormier (1961) demonstrated a luciferin-luciferase reaction for the first time in the extracts of the acorn worm Balanoglossus biminiensis, and also discovered that the luminescence reaction is stimulated by H2O2, of which the details are described below. Recently, Kanakubo and Isobe (2005) reported the chemical structure of a probable luciferin of another acorn worm Ptychodera flava. 

According to Dure and Cormier (1961, 1963) and Cormier and Dure (1963), they made the preparations of luciferase and luciferin from Balanoglossus biminiensis, collected on Sapelo Island, Georgia, and investigated the luciferin-luciferase reaction, as summarized below. 

Fig. 10.4.1 Light emission profile of the luminescence reaction of the acorn worm Balanoglossus biminiensi, when H2O2 is injected into a mixture of the luciferin and luciferase. From Dure and Cormier, 1961, with permission from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Cormier, M. J., and Dure, L. S. (1963). Studies on the bioluminescence of Balanoglossus biminiensis extracts. I. Requirement for hydrogen peroxide and characteristics of the system. J. Biol. Chem. 238 785-789. Cormier, M. J., and Hori, K. (1963). Studies on the bioluminescence of Renilla reniformis. IV. Non-enzymatic activation of Renilla luciferin. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 88 99-104. 

Bacterial luciferin, 340, 341 Balanoglossus, 315-318, 337 Balanoglossus biminiensis, 315 characteristics of bioluminescence, 316... 

Luminous acom worm, Balanoglossus biminiensis (B. biminiensis) was found to emit light by a luciferin - luciferase reaction by Cormier and Dure. " They found that the luciferase was a kind of peroxidase. Their report was the first example to require the H2O2 for a bioluminescence reaction. No further details have been reported on the structure of the luciferin and luciferase. 

Cormier MJ, Dure LS. Studies on the bioluminescence of Balanoglossus biminiensis extracts. J Biol Chem 1963 238 785-9. 

Ashworth, R.B. and Cormier, M.J., 1967. Isolation of 2,6-dibromophenol from the marine hemichordate Balanoglossus biminiensis. Science, 155 1558—1559. 

MELTING point 51-52°C SPECTRAL data UV, PMR, Mass Spec organism Balanoglossus biminiensis (Chordata/ Hemichordata) and Phoronopsis viridis Hilton (Phoronidea) reference 24, 380... 

Isolated from the acorn worm Balanoglossus biminiensis, likely used as a hormone... 

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