Dozens of glow-in-the-dark mushroom species grow around the world. But details on Pretend to be the woman of the insurance… Eroticism Mature Woman calls at your officwhat makes them shine so bright have long been dim.
In a new study, scientists say they can finally explain what makes bioluminescent mushrooms glow. They describe a process of "enzyme promiscuity" that leads to changes in the intensity and colors of mushrooms' light emissions.
SEE ALSO: This frog's slime can destroy flu virusesThe researchers, who hail from Russia, Brazil, and Japan, published their findings Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.
Bioluminescence exists in a wide range of organisms, including deep sea fish, fireflies, and glowworms. In March, another group of scientists found the first solid evidence of fluorescence in amphibians, courtesy of the South American tree frog.
Of around 100,000 fungal species, about 80 are known to be bioluminescent.
Some of these emit a green light from within to attract beetles, flies, wasps, and ants, which in turn help disperse the mushrooms' spores and spread the fungi across the forest canopy, a 2015 study found.
Zinaida Kaskova and her colleagues analyzed the extracts of two such 'shrooms for their study: Neonothopanus gardneri, a fluorescent mushroom native to Brazil, and Neonothopanus nambi, a poisonous mushroom found in the rainforests of southern Vietnam.
In most cases of bioluminescence, living organisms emit light when a molecule called "luciferin" -- from the Latin lucifer, which means light-bringer (also, Satan?) -- combines with its enzyme partner "luciferase."
When luciferin and luciferase mix together with energy and atmospheric oxygen, it triggers a chemical reaction. The result is a very "excited" oxyluciferin, which releases light energy in order to "calm down" to its lowest energy state, the scientists explained.
Previous research has characterized the luciferin-luciferase combination in bioluminescent insects, bacteria, and marine mammals. But Wednesday's study is the first to describe this in fungi.
Kaskova, a researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, said she and her team were able to pinpoint the structure of oxyluciferin in fungi.
They found that fungal luciferase may be "promiscuous," in that it can potentially interact with multiple derivatives of the luciferin molecule in mushrooms.
Their findings could pave the way for scientists to harness bioluminescence in mushrooms. Scientists already use fluorescent molecules to track cells and proteins in biological research. This could add another tool for analytical and imaging technologies.
Obituary of Edgar Allan Poe by Sadie SteinIf You See Something by Sadie SteinWhat We’re Loving: Connell, Lewis, Cupcakes by The Paris ReviewHappy Birthday, Elmore by Sadie SteinGhostwriting Tom Clancy by Sadie SteinLiterary HalloweenThe Tao of Joe Walsh by Matt DominoNovels a Waste of Time, Says Noel Gallagher, and Other News by Sadie SteinThe Diary Diaries by Simon AkamObituary of Edgar Allan Poe by Sadie SteinGhostwriting Tom Clancy by Sadie SteinRecapping Dante: Canto 2 by Alexander AcimanHappy Birthday, Elmore by Sadie SteinCome Play with Us, and Other News by Sadie SteinScandal at the Bookers, and Other News by Sadie SteinWhat We’re Loving: Mysteries, Horror, Geography by The Paris ReviewThe Immortality Chronicles, Part 7 by Adam Leith GollnerSee No Evil by Jason DiamondEudora Welty, Photographer by Sadie SteinGood Grief by Sadie Stein Bill Gates just brought a jar of poop on stage — for a very good reason What 'Bohemian Rhapsody' gets wrong about Queen This website will send you free pizza while you're waiting in line to vote MoviePass, what are you doing? More mobile games are on the horizon for Blizzard Entertainment Waymo blames collision with motorcycle on human error, not AI 16 animals that are definitely not dogs Mark Zuckerberg won't appear before the UK and Canada's joint committee Someone knew months ago that Frank Ocean would build a staircase How to download your personal data from Apple Frank Ocean's visual album brought out a mix of emotions in everyone last night Runner's brave gesture at the Rio Olympics could cost him his life Beyoncé graces us with enchanting behind PSA: 'The Handmaid's Tale' creator wants you to vote in the midterms Photo of Olympic boxers squaring off shows importance of weight classes J.K. Rowling slams homophobic comments about Tom Daley in 1 tweet Simone Biles will carry the U.S. flag at the Olympics closing ceremony The snake 'accidentally donated to Goodwill' has been reunited with its owner J. K. Rowling sues former assistant for stealing Harry Potter' swag Facebook's Portal speaker is now for sale and it definitely won't spy on you
2.4787s , 10195.4296875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Pretend to be the woman of the insurance… Eroticism Mature Woman calls at your offic】,Defense Information Network