Posttranslationally caused bioluminescence burst of the Escherichia coli luciferase reporter strain.
We continuously monitored bioluminescence from a wild-type reporter strain of Escherichia coli (lacp::luc+/WT), which carries the promoter of the lac operon (lacp) fused with the firefly luciferase gene (luc+). This strain showed a bioluminescence burst when shifted into the stationary growth phase. Bioluminescence profiles of other wild-type reporter strains (rpsPp::luc+ and argAp::luc+) and gene-deletion reporter strains (lacp::luc+/crp- and lacp::luc+/lacI-) indicate that transcriptional regulation is not responsible for generation of the burst. Consistently, changes in the luciferase protein levels did not recapitulate the profile of the burst. On the other hand, dissolved oxygen levels increased over the period across the burst, suggesting that the burst is, at least partially, caused by an increase in intracellular oxygen levels. We discuss limits of the firefly luciferase when used as a reporter for gene expression and its potential utility for monitoring metabolic changes in cells.
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Yamato
Y
Ideguchi
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Yuta
Y
Oshikoshi
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Masashi
M
Ryo
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Shogo
S
Motoki
School of Informatics and Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Takashi
T
Kuwano
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan.
Takafumi
T
Tezuka
Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan. aoki@is.nagoya-u.ac.jp.|School of Informatics and Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan. aoki@is.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
Setsuyuki
S
Aoki
D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D008156:Luciferases; D010100:Oxygen
Bioluminescence; Escherichia coli; Firefly luciferase; Posttranslational regulation; Reporter gene; Respiration