A hybrid pathway for self-sustained luminescence.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Fungal bioluminescence offers substrate-independent imaging but relies on large enzymes needing posttranslational modification.
• Reconstituting this pathway in new hosts is challenging due to enzyme size and modification requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize alternative, compact hispidin synthases from plants.
• To develop a streamlined, autonomous bioluminescence system using plant and fungal components.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatic screening for plant-encoded hispidin synthases.
• Construction of hybrid bioluminescence pathways combining plant and fungal genes.
• Testing autonomous bioluminescence in yeast, mammalian, and plant cells.

Main Results:

• Identified diverse, compact plant hispidin synthases (PKSs).
• Developed a hybrid pathway functional in multiple hosts without external substrate or fungal modification machinery.
• Demonstrated efficient autoluminescence delivery via viral vectors due to enzyme compactness.

Conclusions:

• Plant hispidin synthases provide a compact alternative for fungal bioluminescence.
• This facilitates simpler, autonomous bioluminescence systems for diverse biotechnological applications.
• Compact enzyme size expands delivery options, including viral vector-mediated gene transfer.