vargulin
Sign in to saveAlso known as Cypridinid luciferin
Vargulin, also called Cypridinid luciferin, Cypridina luciferin, or Vargula luciferin, is the luciferin found in the ostracod Cypridina hilgendorfii, also named Vargula hilgendorfii. These bottom dwelling ostracods emit a light stream into water when disturbed presumably to deter predation. Vargulin is also used by the midshipman fish, Porichthys.
Wikidata facts
- Mass
- 405.227708484
Show 4 more facts
- chemical formula
- C₂₂H₂₇N₇O
- canonical SMILES
- CCC(C)C1=C(N2C=C(N=C(C2=N1)CCCN=C(N)N)C3=CNC4=CC=CC=C43)O
- isomeric SMILES
- CC[C@H](C)c1nc2c(CCCNC(=N)N)[nH]c(-c3c[nH]c4ccccc34)cn-2c1=O
- Commons category
- Vargulin
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Article
5 sectionsContents
- History
- Biochemistry
- Uses
- References
- External links
Vargulin, also called Cypridinid luciferin, Cypridina luciferin, or Vargula luciferin, is the luciferin found in the ostracod Cypridina hilgendorfii, also named Vargula hilgendorfii. These bottom dwelling ostracods emit a light stream into water when disturbed presumably to deter predation. Vargulin is also used by the midshipman fish, Porichthys.
== History == A partial extraction procedure was developed in 1935 which involved reacting the compound with benzoyl chloride to allow it to be separated from the water-soluble components. The compound was first isolated and purified to crystals by Osamu Shimomura. The structure of the compound was confirmed some years later. Feeding experiments suggest that the compound is synthesized in the animal from three amino-acids: tryptophan, isoleucine, and arginine.