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Mycology 2017
September 25-26, 2017
conferenceseries .com
September 25-26, 2017 Chicago, USA
2nd International Conference on
Mycology & Mushrooms
Volume 3, Issue 2 (Suppl) Med Mycol Open Access
ISSN: 2471-8521
Fungal bioluminescence system: luciferin, luciferase and luciferin biosynthesis
Ilia V Yampolsky1 and Hans Waldenmaier2*
1Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russia
2University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
*Presenting Author
Many living organisms emit light, a phenomenon named bioluminescence. There are estimated to exist ~40 different chemical
mechanisms underlying the generation of “cold light”. The energy required for light production is generated by the oxidation
of a small organic molecule, luciferin, catalyzed by a specific enzyme, luciferase. More than 100 species of bioluminescent higher
fungi are known. The international research group led by the speaker reported elucidation of fungal luciferin in 2015. In 2016, the
same group identified and cloned fungal luciferase and the enzymes of luciferin biosynthesis (publications in press). Discussed will
be structure elucidation of fungal luciferin, cloning of fungal bioluminescnce enzymes, light emission mechanism and perspectives
of practical applications of fungal bioluminescence.
Biography
Ilia V Yampolsky has completed his PhD from Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (Moscow) in the field of chemistry of red fluorescent proteins’ chromophores and his DrSc in
bioluminescence mechanisms. He is the Head of Total Synthesis Lab at the same institute. He has published more than 40 papers in reputed journals. His research interests
include fluorescence and luminescence in nature, natural products isolation, function and biosynthesis.
Hans Waldenmaier has completed his PhD in Biochemistry at the age of 31 years from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hans also earned a Masters degree in Botany
from Miami University in Oxford Ohio and prior to that a BSc in Biochemistry at Clemson University. Currently he is developing a botany based biotech startup focused on
bioluminescence. He is one of the foremost experts of fungal bioluminescence, with extensive field experience studying the ecology of the phenomena as well as a deep
understanding of the molecular nature of the trait.
Ilia V Yampolsky et al., Med Mycol Open Access, 3:2, 2017
DOI: 10.21767/2471-8521-C1-002