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Evolution of bioluminescence in marine dinoflagellates DL Robertson; J. Woodland Hastings* Dept. of Molecular & Cellular Biology, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-2020, USA      *(Hastings@fas.Harvard.edu) Bioluminescence is broadly distributed among marine dinoflagellate taxa, and while biochemical comparisons indicate that it originated only once within this group, there are substantial differences in the mode of circadian regulation. Luminescence has been well characterized in Lingulodinium (Gonyaulax) polyedra at the cellular, biochemical and molecular levels. The luciferase gene comprises an N-terminal sequence homologous to the N-terminus of the substrate binding protein, followed by three contiguous homologous domains that are about 75% identical at the nucleotide level. Using PCR amplification with primers from the highly conserved central region of a domain, we isolated the 3' region (ca. 1 kb) of the genes from Alexandrium tamarense and Pyrocystis noctiluca, including the full length 3'UTR. Within the open reading frame the amino acid sequences are approximately 80% identical, and the more highly conserved central region, identified as the putative active site, is similarly conserved in the other genera. Further comparisons will allow us to distinguish between regions of the luciferase gene that are conserved for enzyme function versus those concerned with the regulation of protein expression. [Poster: hastings.jwoodl.22632]

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