Scientists Find Whole-Cell Luciferin in Polykrikos kofoidii, a 1-Celled Predator of Toxic Algae
Updated
Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jun 2
Scientists Find Whole-Cell Luciferin in Polykrikos kofoidii, a 1-Celled Predator of Toxic Algae
1 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jun 2
Journal of Phycology researchers found Polykrikos kofoidii spreads luciferin across its entire single cell, unlike other bioluminescent dinoflagellates that confine the molecule to specific organelles.
The plankton’s blue-green flashes were also slower and dimmer than those of related species, pointing to a fundamentally different way of storing or regulating light production.
P. kofoidii is a predatory dinoflagellate found worldwide that uses harpoon-like structures to capture prey, including toxic algae linked to harmful blooms and red tides.
Scientists say the work could clarify how bioluminescence evolved and functions in marine ecosystems, while raising the possibility that the species’ appetite for harmful algae may have ecological or bloom-control relevance.