@article {57381, title = {Neoceroplatus betaryiensis nov. sp. (Diptera: Keroplatidae) is the first record of a bioluminescent fungus-gnat in South America}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

Blue shining fungus gnats (Diptera) had been long reported in the Waitomo caves of New Zealand (Arachnocampa luminosa Skuse), in stream banks of the American Appalachian Mountains (Orfelia fultoni Fisher) in 1939 and in true spore eating Eurasiatic Keroplatus Bosc species. This current report observes that similar blue light emitting gnat larvae also occur nearby the Betary river in the buffer zone of High Ribeira River State Park (PETAR) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where the larvae were found when on fallen branches or trunks enveloped in their own secreted silk. The new species is named Neoceroplatus betaryiensis nov. sp. (Diptera: Keroplatidae: Keroplatinae: Keroplatini) based on a morphological analysis. Neoceroplatus betaryiensis nov. sp. larvae emit blue bioluminescence that can be seen from their last abdominal segment and from two photophores located laterally on the first thoracic segment. When touched, the larvae can actively stop its luminescence, which returns when it is no longer being agitated. The in vitro bioluminescence spectrum of N. betaryiensis nov. sp. peaks at 472 nm, and cross-reactivity of hot and cold extracts with the luciferin-luciferase from Orfelia fultoni indicate significant similarity in both enzyme and substrate of the two species, and that the bioluminescence system in the subfamily Keroplatinae is conserved.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-47753-w}, url = {http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47753-w}, author = {Falaschi, Rafaela L. and Amaral, Danilo T. and Santos, Isaias and Domingos, Ad{\~a}o H. R. and Johnson, Grant A. and Martins, Ana G. S. and Viroomal, Imran B. and Pomp{\'e}ia, S{\'e}rgio L. and Mirza, Jeremy D. and Oliveira, Anderson G. and Bechara, Etelvino J. H. and Viviani, Vadim R. and Stevani, Cassius V.} } @article {57245, title = {Orfelia-type luciferin and its associated storage protein in the non-luminescent cave worm Neoditomyia sp. (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from the Atlantic rainforest: biological and evolutionary implications}, journal = {Photochemical \& Photobiological Sciences}, volume = {17}, year = {2018}, month = {Oct-10-2018}, pages = {1282 - 1288}, abstract = {

Bioluminescence in Diptera is found in the family Keroplatidae, in the glowworms of the genera Arachnocampa, Orfelia and Keroplatus. Despite belonging to the same family, Arachnocampa spp. and Orfelia fultoni display morphologically and biochemically distinct bioluminescence systems: Arachnocampa spp. produce light by the terminal ends of Malpighian tubules using ATP, a luciferin and a luciferase, whereas Orfelia fultoni produces light by translucent areas associated with rows of black bodies in the anterior and posterior parts of the body, using a 140 kDa luciferase and a luciferin which do not cross-react with the Arachnocampa luciferin\–luciferase system, and a substrate binding fraction (SBF) which apparently releases luciferin in the presence of reductants. While several other keroplatids are not luminescent, we recently discovered a non-luminescent web-constructing keroplatid larva living in the roofs of caves in the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil, which noteworthily has a compound with Orfelia luciferin-like activity and its associated binding protein (SBF). Both the Neoditomyia luciferin-like compound and SBF cross-react with purified Orfelia luciferase to produce light in the same blue region of the Orfelia luciferin\–luciferase system (479 nm). We also checked for the presence of Orfelia-type luciferin in Arachnocampa luminosa and Aedes aegytpi larval bodies, but no traces were found. Molecular studies indicate that Neoditomyia sp. is phylogenetically closer to Keroplatus and Orfelia than to Arachnocampa species. The presence of luciferin and its associated binding protein in this non-bioluminescent keroplatid larva indicates that luciferin may display another important biochemical function in keroplatid larvae and suggests that bioluminescence could be a recently evolved trait in Keroplatidae.

}, issn = {1474-905X}, doi = {10.1039/C8PP00207J}, url = {http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C8PP00207J}, author = {Viviani, Vadim R. and Amaral, Danilo T. and Bevilaqua, Vanessa R. and Falaschi, Rafaela L.} }