生物發光ニ關スル研究 (其ノ2)

抄録

A) Results obtained on the Cypridina Hilgendorfii Müller (Umihotaru).
1) Cypridina Hilgendorfii Müller used as experimental material lives in the Setonaikai and its photogenic substance in this animal undergoes little alternation for long time (over several monthes.) in fair preservation.
2) The light of the cypridina emits from the secret of the luminous glands and not from the parasitic luminous bacteria. But the luminous liquor whose light once extinguished reproduces its light by means of the action of bacteria and etc. In this case, the bacteria can probably convert the oxidized photogenic substance into the reduced form. The sterile luminous liquor, or chemically purified one can not give light again after extinguished.
3) The light production requires oxygen, but much smaller dose than in the case of the firefly is sufficient. Cyanic acid does not affect the light production.
4) As the photogenic substance is not soluble in ether and chloroform, it might not belong to fat or lipoid.
5) The light appears when hot water extract from cypridina was added to cold water extract from cypridina. Hot water extract of any other animals than cypridina is not efficacious for the light production of the cold water extract of cypridina.
6) The active substance in hot and cold water extract is not soluble in ether, absorbed by charcoal, and the principle in the hot water extract passes through filter paper and collodium membrane, while the principle in the cold extract can not filter through collodium membrane.
7) The active component in the cold water extract loses its action by warming at 55°-60°C. over 3 min.
8) The active cold water extract from cypridina does not emit light on addition of alkali, like that from firefly.
9) The active cold water extract does not respond to ordinary tests for glucose and proteine.
10) The active substance have the following solubility;
4 parts of sea water containing luminous secret from cypridina +1 part of alkohol
With the aid of this solubility we can obtain relatively purified cold water extractive principle.
11) The oxidation concerned with light production of the firefly and cypridina seems to belong neither to the peroxidase system nor to the glutathione system.
B) Results obtained on the luminous bacteria which were isolated from the knightfish (Matukasa-uo) by Dr. Yasaki and cultivated on 3% salt-agar-agar or bouillon.
1) The bacteria give light at brightest in the neibourhood of 30°C. and no light at 0°-(-5)°C. or over 40°C. The bacteria held in cool for some time below 0°C. give out light again by warming, while that held over 40°C. no more emit light by cooling.
2) The temperature coefficient for 10°C. is 2.6-6. from 30°C. to 0°C., and it becomes higher at lower temperature within that limit.
3) The intensity of the light suffers no remarkable change at partial oxygen pressure between 1/5 to 4 atmosphere.
4) The luminescence is inhibited by acid and alkali, but not affected by HCN-gas.
5) Bacteria emulsion in which light once has gone out does not shine again by alkali in apposition to case of the firefly.
6) We could obtain neither the effective cold water extract nor hot water extract from the luminous bacteria.
C) Results obtained on the chemiluminescence.
1) Pyrogallol solution and also water extract from substances containing tannin give light almost equal to that of luminous bacteria several minutes at room temperature in prescence of oxyfull and plant juice or blood or formalin with alkali.
a) The efficacious substance of the plant juice is obtainable from potato, garden radish, Jerusalem artichoke or mushroom etc., and loses its power in warming over 5 min. at 60°C. also after short time even at room temperature.
b) Not only fresh or dried blood, but also fibrin of blood is effective.