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Related Experiment Videos

Intercellular signaling as visualized by endogenous calcium-dependent bioluminescence.

P Brehm1, J Lechleiter, S Smith

  • 1Department of Physiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.

Neuron
|August 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Bioluminescence in Obelia involves calcium activating a photoprotein. Calcium enters cells via channels, diffuses through gap junctions, and triggers luminescence, with a secondary mechanism for intense stimulation.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine biology
  • Cellular physiology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Bioluminescence is a light-emitting process in many marine organisms.
  • In the hydrozoan Obelia, light emission is triggered by calcium ions.
  • The precise mechanisms of calcium regulation in Obelia's photocytes are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of calcium influx and diffusion in Obelia.
  • To understand how calcium levels are regulated within photocytes during bioluminescence.
  • To elucidate the spatial and temporal dynamics of intracellular calcium in Obelia's light-emitting cells.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings to study calcium channel activity.
  • Confocal microscopy to visualize calcium dynamics.

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  • Pharmacological manipulation of calcium channels and gap junctions.

    • Main Results:

    • Calcium influx into nonluminescent cells via voltage-dependent channels initiates luminescence.
    • Calcium diffusion through gap junctions into photocytes triggers localized light emission.
    • A secondary, voltage-independent calcium permeability mechanism in photocytes supports intense stimulation-induced luminescence.

    Conclusions:

    • Two distinct calcium-handling mechanisms regulate bioluminescence in Obelia.
    • Gap junction-mediated calcium diffusion plays a key role in localized light responses.
    • Understanding these mechanisms provides insight into the control of bioluminescence in marine invertebrates.