Bioluminescent Bioassays Based on Luminous Bacteria

Abstract

Bioluminescent analysis is one of the most promising express methods for biologically monitoring the environment because the luminescent system is highly sensitive to even micro quantities of pollutants. Bioassays based on luminous bacteria give an integral estimation of toxicity and frequently surpass other known bioassays in speed, accuracy, sensitivity and simplicity. The enzymes of bacterial luminescent system are also used in developing highly sensitive analytical methods for practical purposes. This paper considers the main features of bacterial bioluminescence and isolated luminescent system, and also the applications of bioluminescence. One part reviews the investigations on the influence of different chemical substances on bacterial luminescence, development and using of bioluminescent bioassays, in particular some of them, in environmental monitoring of several regions in Russia. Luminous bacteria strains from the Culture Collection of Institute of Biophysics SB RAS (CCIBSO 836) are successfully used to produce new or improved bioassays based on lyophilized bacteria bearing the lux gene. Such bioassays are suitable for biotesting of water, air, soil, and the chemical substances used in everyday life. The «know-how» of kits for bioluminescent analysis and bioassays based on lyophilized natural luminous bacteria P.phosphoreum and recombinant Е.соli strain with cloned lux genes is developed. The bioluminescent assay has certificate and is recommended as an additional method of ecological monitoring in parallel with the other bioassays. The sensitivity of the bioassays developed in the IBP SB RAS is comparable to that of the foreign analogues Microtox©TM, ToxAlert©TM, etc.

Keywords

• bioluminescent assay
• bioluminescence
• biotesting
• pollution