Two years before that publication, in 1920 Harvey had published a very important monograph titled “The Nature of Animal Light” (Harvey 1920). In his 1920
publication, Harvey presented some history of our knowledge regarding bioluminescent microorganisms. Those include bioluminescence associated with bacterial
decay of fish which I have not seen, with fungal decay of wood which is called
foxfire and fascinated me the first time that I saw it when I was a Boy Scout on a
camping trip, and with dinoflagellates in the ocean which my brother saw light up the
ocean waves that washed over the deck of his navy ship at night. These microbial
phenomenon had been observed and examined as a curiosity for millennia. Bioluminescence certainly is not limited to microbes, and indeed many macroscopic
organisms produce their own bioluminescence. Our common fascination with bioluminescent animals includes chasing fireflies.
The modern scientific studies which led to our understanding of bioluminescence
seem to have begun with the work of Raphaël Horace Dubois in the late 1800s. It
was presumed for decades that this illumination was either a fluorescence or a
phosphorescence. Eventually, we came to understand bioluminescence as being
the product of an enzymatic oxidation by luciferase acting upon a luciferin. Harvey
had studied the light organs of invertebrates and the chemistry of their luminosity
including his making detailed examinations of luciferin and luciferase reactivity.
Harveys observations (Harvey 1920) extended the existing knowledge that luciferins
and luciferases from closely related species will react together and produce light, but
mixing together luciferins and luciferases from species that taxonomically are more
distant will not produce light.
I presume that the bioluminescent marine bacteria Vibrio harveyi was named in
honor of E. Newton Harvey. That bacterial species lives commensally in the gut of
some marine animals and is a pathogen of many marine animals.
Other examples of symbiotic bioluminescent microbes include the bacterial
species Aliivibrio fischeri, which is a mutualistic symbiont of various marine animals
including the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. Presumably that microbes
luminescence is of benefit to the squid (Visick et al. 2000). The bacteria
Photorhabdus luminescens is an intestinal symbiont of entomopathogenic nematodes belonging to the family Heterorhabditidae. Photorhabdus luminescens is
transmitted by regurgitation into insects that have been attacked by the nematode.
The bacteria then kills the insects by producing toxin, and secretes enzymes that
decompose the insect (Ciche and Ensign 2003). The decomposed insect serves as a
nutritional source for both the bacteria and its host nematode. The ecological role of
the bioluminescence produced by Photorhabdus luminescens is not yet understood.
Insects that are infected with Photorhabdus luminescens do glow.
14 Discovering the Symbiotic Nature of Microbial Life: Summarizing Milestone. . .
235
publication, Harvey presented some history of our knowledge regarding bioluminescent microorganisms. Those include bioluminescence associated with bacterial
decay of fish which I have not seen, with fungal decay of wood which is called
foxfire and fascinated me the first time that I saw it when I was a Boy Scout on a
camping trip, and with dinoflagellates in the ocean which my brother saw light up the
ocean waves that washed over the deck of his navy ship at night. These microbial
phenomenon had been observed and examined as a curiosity for millennia. Bioluminescence certainly is not limited to microbes, and indeed many macroscopic
organisms produce their own bioluminescence. Our common fascination with bioluminescent animals includes chasing fireflies.
The modern scientific studies which led to our understanding of bioluminescence
seem to have begun with the work of Raphaël Horace Dubois in the late 1800s. It
was presumed for decades that this illumination was either a fluorescence or a
phosphorescence. Eventually, we came to understand bioluminescence as being
the product of an enzymatic oxidation by luciferase acting upon a luciferin. Harvey
had studied the light organs of invertebrates and the chemistry of their luminosity
including his making detailed examinations of luciferin and luciferase reactivity.
Harveys observations (Harvey 1920) extended the existing knowledge that luciferins
and luciferases from closely related species will react together and produce light, but
mixing together luciferins and luciferases from species that taxonomically are more
distant will not produce light.
I presume that the bioluminescent marine bacteria Vibrio harveyi was named in
honor of E. Newton Harvey. That bacterial species lives commensally in the gut of
some marine animals and is a pathogen of many marine animals.
Other examples of symbiotic bioluminescent microbes include the bacterial
species Aliivibrio fischeri, which is a mutualistic symbiont of various marine animals
including the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. Presumably that microbes
luminescence is of benefit to the squid (Visick et al. 2000). The bacteria
Photorhabdus luminescens is an intestinal symbiont of entomopathogenic nematodes belonging to the family Heterorhabditidae. Photorhabdus luminescens is
transmitted by regurgitation into insects that have been attacked by the nematode.
The bacteria then kills the insects by producing toxin, and secretes enzymes that
decompose the insect (Ciche and Ensign 2003). The decomposed insect serves as a
nutritional source for both the bacteria and its host nematode. The ecological role of
the bioluminescence produced by Photorhabdus luminescens is not yet understood.
Insects that are infected with Photorhabdus luminescens do glow.
14 Discovering the Symbiotic Nature of Microbial Life: Summarizing Milestone. . .
235