title: Comparison of the spectral emission of lux recombinant and bioluminescent marine bacteria.
abstract: The purpose of the present paper was to study the influence of bacteria harbouring the luciferase-encoding Vibrio harveyi luxAB genes upon the spectral emission during growth in batch-culture conditions. In vivo bioluminescence spectra were compared from several bioluminescent strains, either naturally luminescent (Vibrio fischeri and Vibrio harveyi) or in recombinant strains (two Gram-negative Escherichia coli::luxAB strains and a Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis::luxAB strain). Spectral emission was recorded from 400 nm to 750 nm using a highly sensitive spectrometer initially devoted to Raman scattering. Two peaks were clearly identified, one at 491-500 nm (+/- 5 nm) and a second peak at 585-595 (+/- 5 nm) with the Raman CCD. The former peak was the only one detected with traditional spectrometers with a photomultiplier detector commonly used for spectral emission measurement, due to their lack of sensitivity and low resolution in the 550-650 nm window. When spectra were compared between all the studied bacteria, no difference was observed between natural or recombinant cells, between Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, and growth conditions and growth medium were not found to modify the spectrum of light emission.
authors.affiliation: Université de Nantes, IUT, Département Génie Biologique, Laboratoire de Microbiologie, 18 Bd G. Defferre, 85000 La Roche sur Yon, France. gerald.thouand@laroche.univ-nantes.fr
authors.forename: Gérald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thouand
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horry
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picart
authors.forename: Marie José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Killham
authors.forename: Oliver G G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: DuBow
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rousseau
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008156:Luciferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012623:Seawater; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014733:Vibrio / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D008156:Luciferases