BIOCHEMISTRY OF RENILLA RENIFORMIS 

 LUiMINESCENCEi 



Milton J. Cormier 



Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 



and the University of Georgia Marine Institute, 



Sapelo Island, Georgia 



Introduction 



During the last ten years, our knowledge of the biochemical factors 

 involved in bioluminescent reactions and their mechanisms has in- 

 creased considerably. From the classical work of E. N. Harvey and 

 his associates (7) on Cypridina luminescence, a description of the 

 factors involved in firefly (11) and bacterial luminescence (4, 5, 

 8, 15), and their mechanisms, has arisen. More recently, one of the 

 components involved in fungal luminescence has been described (1) . 



Aside from the four systems mentioned above, no detailed report 

 has appeared on the biochemistry of any other luminescent system. 

 The author therefore feels that it may be of general interest to 

 describe some recent work on the Imninescent system of the sea 

 pansy, Renilla re7iiformis. 



Luminous extracts of the sea pansy have been prepared, and cer- 

 tain factors involved in this system have been identified. The system 

 is an interesting one since it differs biochemically from other known 

 bioluminescent reactions. 



In fact, one of the striking features about these luminescent sys- 

 tems is that, in general, they differ biochemically. This is true for 

 the components involved, and for the mechanisms of the reactions. 

 It would be more unusual, it seems, to find luminescent systems 

 that are biochemically identical, rather than different, among the 

 various luminous species. Thus biochemical evidence is beginning to 

 mount to support the general observation that linninous forms have 

 appeared sporadically during evolution and have not evolved along 

 the "same line." 



Some of the data given below are based on a preliminary report 

 (2) and a more detailed manuscript now in press (3). 



' This work was siipporlcd in part by llic National Science Foundation and is 

 contribution No. 25 from the University of Cleorgia Marine Institute, Sapelo 

 Island, Georgia. 



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