Bioluminescent system of luminous fungus Mycena lux-coeli

Abstract

Bioluminescence is of chemical, biological and ecological interest. Currently, greater than 80 fungal bioluminescent species have been documented. The chemical mechanisms of Mycena lux-coeli bioluminescence are still not clear. In this study, a bioluminescent system was identified in M. lux-coeli pileus gills. Bioluminescence in living gills was induced by addition of trans-3-hydroxyhispidin (1), and the induced bioluminescence exhibited a max of 525 nm, which was in agreement with that of natural bioluminescence. The light-producing enzyme from 1 was partially purified from M. lux-coeli gills. Trans-3-hydroxyhispidin-induced bioluminescence and natural bioluminescence were not affected by the addition of trans-3-hydroxyhispidin analogue 2, which did not contain a hydroxyl group at the C-3 position of the phenyl group in 1, but were significantly inhibited by the addition of trans-3-hydroxyhispidin analogue 3, which did not contain two hydroxyl groups at the C-3 and C-4 positions of the phenyl group in 1. The characteristics of 1-induced bioluminescence were consistent with those of natural bioluminescence. This study concluded that 1 is a bioluminescent substrate for the natural bioluminescence of M. lux-coeli.