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Kleptoprotein
A kleptoprotein is a protein which is not encoded in the genome of the organism which uses it, but instead is obtained through diet from a prey organism. Importantly, a kleptoprotein must maintain its function and be mostly or entirely undigested, drawing a distinction from proteins that are digested for nutrition, which become destroyed and non-functional in the process. This phenomenon was first reported in the bioluminescent fish ''Parapriacanthus'', which has specialized light organs adapted towards counter-illumination, but obtains the luciferase enzyme within these organs from bioluminescent ostracods, including '' Cypridina noctiluca'' or ''Vargula hilgendorfii''. See also * Kleptoplasty Kleptoplasty or kleptoplastidy is a symbiosis, symbiotic phenomenon whereby plastids, notably chloroplasts from algae, are sequestered by host organisms. The word is derived from ''Kleptes'' (κλέπτης) which is Greek language, Greek for thie ... References {{biology-stub Bio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parapriacanthus
''Parapriacanthus'' is a genus of sweepers native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. ''Parapriacanthus'' are bioluminescent, with ventral light organs for counter-illumination. ''Parapriacanthus'' luciferase is a kleptoprotein, obtained from their diet on bioluminescent ostracods. Species There are currently 11 recognized species in this genus: * ''Parapriacanthus argenteus'' (Cecil von Bonde, von Bonde, 1923) * ''Parapriacanthus darros'' John Ernest Randall, J. E. Randall & Sergey Vasilievich Bogorodsky, Bogorodsky, 2016 * ''Parapriacanthus dispar'' (Albert William Herre, Herre, 1935) (Deep bullseye) * ''Parapriacanthus elongatus'' (Allan Riverstone McCulloch, McCulloch, 1911) (Slender bullseye) * ''Parapriacanthus guentheri'' (Carl Benjamin Klunzinger, Klunzinger, 1871) * ''Parapriacanthus kwazulu'' John Ernest Randall, J. E. Randall & Sergey Vasilievich Bogorodsky, Bogorodsky, 2016 * ''Parapriacanthus marei'' Pierre Fourmanoir, Fourmanoir, 1971 (Red-fin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pigmy Sweeper Parapriacanthus Ransonneti (Steindachner 1870)
In anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. The term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a population) for populations in which adult men are on average less than tall. The term is primarily associated with the African Pygmies, the hunter-gatherers of the Congo Basin (comprising the Bambenga, Bambuti and Batwa). The terms "Asiatic Pygmies" and "Oceanian pygmies" have been used to describe the Negrito populations of Southeast Asia and Australo-Melanesian peoples of short stature. The Taron people of Myanmar are an exceptional case of a "pygmy" population of East Asian phenotype. Etymology The term ''pygmy'', as used to refer to diminutive people, derives from Greek πυγμαῖος ''pygmaios'' via Latin ''Pygmaei'' (sing. ''Pygmaeus''), derived from πυγμή – meaning a short forearm cubit, or a measure of length corres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genome
In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as regulatory sequences (see non-coding DNA), and often a substantial fraction of 'junk' DNA with no evident function. Almost all eukaryotes have mitochondria and a small mitochondrial genome. Algae and plants also contain chloroplasts with a chloroplast genome. The study of the genome is called genomics. The genomes of many organisms have been sequenced and various regions have been annotated. The International Human Genome Project reported the sequence of the genome for ''Homo sapiens'' in 200The Human Genome Project although the initial "finished" sequence was missing 8% of the genome consisting mostly of repetitive sequences. With advancements in technology that could handle sequenci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Counter-illumination
Counter-illumination is a method of active camouflage seen in marine animals such as firefly squid and midshipman fish, and in military prototypes, producing light to match their backgrounds in both brightness and wavelength. Marine animals of the mesopelagic (mid-water) zone tend to appear dark against the bright water surface when seen from below. They can camouflage themselves, often from predators but also from their prey, by producing light with bioluminescent photophores on their downward-facing surfaces, reducing the contrast of their silhouettes against the background. The light may be produced by the animals themselves, or by symbiotic bacteria, often ''Aliivibrio fischeri''. Counter-illumination differs from countershading, which uses only pigments such as melanin to reduce the appearance of shadows. It is one of the dominant types of aquatic camouflage, along with transparency and silvering. All three methods make animals in open water resemble their environment. C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luciferase
Luciferase is a generic term for the class of oxidative enzymes that produce bioluminescence, and is usually distinguished from a photoprotein. The name was first used by Raphaël Dubois who invented the words ''luciferin'' and ''luciferase'', for the substrate and enzyme, respectively. Both words are derived from the Latin word ''lucifer'', meaning "lightbearer", which in turn is derived from the Latin words for "light" (''lux)'' and "to bring or carry" (''ferre)''.Luciferases are widely used in biotechnology, for bioluminescence imaging microscopy and as reporter genes, for many of the same applications as fluorescent proteins. However, unlike fluorescent proteins, luciferases do not require an external light source, but do require addition of luciferin, the consumable substrate. Examples A variety of organisms regulate their light production using different luciferases in a variety of light-emitting reactions. The majority of studied luciferases have been found in animals, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vargula Hilgendorfii
''Vargula hilgendorfii'', sometimes called the sea-firefly and one of three bioluminescent species known in Japan as umi-hotaru (海蛍), is a species of ostracod crustacean. It is the only member of genus '' Vargula'' to inhabit Japanese waters; all other members of its genus inhabit the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and waters off the coast of California. ''V. hilgendorfii'' was formerly more common, but its numbers have fallen significantly. Description ''V. hilgendorfii'' is a small animal, only 3 millimetres long. It is nocturnal and lives in the sand at the bottom of shallow water. At night, it feeds actively. Bioluminescence ''V. hilgendorfii'' is known for its bioluminescence. It produces a blue-coloured light by a specialized chemical reaction of the substrate luciferin and the enzyme luciferase. The luciferase enzyme consists of a 555-amino acid-long peptide with a molecular mass of 61627 u, while the luciferine vargulin has only a mass of 405.5 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kleptoplasty
Kleptoplasty or kleptoplastidy is a symbiosis, symbiotic phenomenon whereby plastids, notably chloroplasts from algae, are sequestered by host organisms. The word is derived from ''Kleptes'' (κλέπτης) which is Greek language, Greek for thief. The alga is eaten normally and partially digested, leaving the plastid intact. The plastids are maintained within the host, temporarily continuing photosynthesis and benefiting the predator. The term was coined in 1990 to describe chloroplast symbiosis. Ciliates ''Mesodinium rubrum'' is a ciliate that steals chloroplasts from the cryptomonad ''Geminigera cryophila''. ''M. rubrum'' participates in additional endosymbiosis by transferring its plastids to its predators, the dinoflagellate planktons belonging to the genus ''Dinophysis''. Karyoklepty is a related process in which the nucleus of the prey cell is kept by the predator as well. This was first described in 2007 in ''M. rubrum''. Dinoflagellates The stability of transient ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary information encoded in genes, which can be transmitted to future generations. Another major theme is evolution, which explains the unity and diversity of life. Energy processing is also important to life as it allows organisms to move, grow, and reproduce. Finally, all organisms are able to regulate their own internal environments. Biologists are able to study life at multiple levels of organization, from the molecular biology of a cell to the anatomy and physiology of plants and animals, and evolution of populations.Based on definition from: Hence, there are multiple subdisciplines within biology, each defined by the nature of their research questions and the tools that they use. Like other scientists, biologists use the sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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