Darkness mutants

Keynan, A., and Hastings, J. W. (1961). The isolation and characterization of dark mutants of luminous bacteria. Biol. Bull. 121 375. 

Shimomura, O., Johnson, F. H., and Morise, H. (1974a). The aldehyde content of luminous bacteria and of an aldehydeless dark mutant. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71 4666-4669. 

Aldehydeless dark mutants, 35-37 effect of cyanide, 37 Aminopyrazine, 160 Ammodytes, 163 Amphipod, 47 Ampbiura, 163, 337 Amphiura fHiformis, 302, 307, 345 Ampbiura luciferase, 307, 345 Anaerobic condition, 351 Anderson s benzoylation method, 54, 55... 

Luminescent bacteria also allow detection of the carcinogenic effect of ge-notoxics. A dark mutant of a Photobacterium or Vibrio strain that can revert back to luminescence at an increased rate in the presence of base-substitutes or frame-shifts agents, DNA-damaging agents, DNA synthesis inhibitors, and DNA intercalating agents can be employed [171, 172],... 

Dark mutant for genotoxicity and toxicity of river waters and sediment 168... 

Genotoxicity may also be tested with a Mutatox test (Azur Environmental Ltd., Berkshire, England), using a dark mutant strain of bioluminescent bacterium V. fischeri [54]. DNA-damaging substances are recognized by measuring the ability of a test sample to restore the luminescent state in the bacterial cells. The authors pointed to the sensitivity of the test to chemicals that damage DNA, bind DNA, or inhibit DNA synthesis. 

A new in vitro genotoxicity assay has been developed by the Microbics Corp. This assay, known by the trade name of Mutatox assay, is a convenient method to detect DNA-damaging substances (genotoxins) by measuring light emissions from an isolated dark mutant strain of Photobacterium phosphoreum. The Mutatox assay compares favorably in sensitivity with the Ames test, and it is easier and more rapid to perform [15]. As a toxicity estimation method, one convenient assay method was developed and uses cultured fish cells this is introduced in section 7.4. 

Xie, S. Gu, Z. Zhou, D. Sensitivity of photobacterial dark mutant for detecting chemical mutagenicity. Huanjing Kexue Xuebao 1999,19, 313-318 Chem. Abstr. 1999,131, 224722. 

Chory, J., Out of darkness mutants reveal pathwa) controlling light-regulated development in... 

Huang, S. and Tu, S.-C., Identification and characterization of a catalytic base in bacterial ludferase by chemical rescue of a dark mutant, Biochemistry, 36, 14609, 1997. 

An essential feature of bacterial bioluminescence is the requirement for long chain aldehyde (p. 156). Some bacteria, or certain mutants thereof, can use long-chain fatty acids, especially myristic acid [107] as precursors of the aldehydes. Thus a dark mutant of B. harveyi emits light when myristic acid is added. The light yield is proportional to the quantity of the acid added, down to 10 picomoles per ml. 

---