Three functional luciferase domains in a single polypeptide chain.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 9256416.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 22980.
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Abstract
We report a unique case of a gene containing three homologous and contiguous repeat sequences, each of which, after excision, cloning, and expression in Escherichia coli, is shown to code for a peptide catalyzing the same reaction as the native protein, Gonyaulax polyedra luciferase (Mr = 137). This enzyme, which catalyzes the light-emitting oxidation of a linear tetrapyrrole (dinoflagellate luciferin), exhibits no sequence similarities to other luciferases in databases. Sequence analysis also reveals an unusual evolutionary feature of this gene: synonymous substitutions are strongly constrained in the central regions of each of the repeated coding sequences.
Medical subject headings
- Dinoflagellida
- Luciferases
- Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid