
To explain:
The way through which understanding bioluminescent bacteria and the lux operon can help people to understand other bacterial processes.
Introduction:
The bioluminescent bacteria produce light in sea water, marine sediments, and gut of marine organisms and surface of the decomposing fish. Molecular oxygen allows those bacteria to produce light, and this is termed as bacterial bioluminescence, which is supplied from the external cellular environment.
The lux operon is an operon that regulates the production of “luciferase”, the enzyme responsible for the emission of light by bioluminescent bacteria.

Explanation of Solution
The study of bioluminescent bacteria and lux operon can be useful to understand the other bacterial processes. For example, Vibrio fisheri and Vibrio harveyi contain lux operon that can be studied to understand bacterial processes. Vibrio fisheri is a microorganism that can live either alone or symbiotically with the bobtail squid. Vibrio harveyi inhabit on shrimp and other marine organisms.
In such microns, lux operon contains five different genes that cause the regulation of bioluminescence. The proteins that are produced from this operon associate to produce luciferase and bioluminescence by emitting photons of light.
The genes present in lux operon transcribed and translated at certain times, because, they have the required energy for their transcription and translation. “Autoinducer” is a signaling molecule produced by bacteria. As the bacteria achieve to a certain concentration, the autoinducer also achieves a concentration that can be detected by all the bacteria within the immediate area. The higher concentration of autoinducer provides signals to the bacteria to produce luciferase and bioluminescence; this is known as “quorum sensing”. Bacteria are unable to produce light until they have achieved a higher concentration.
The concentration required by bacteria to produce luciferase and bioluminescence is 1012 cells/ml for the production of light.
Quorum sensing is a process occurring in bioluminescent bacteria and the lux operon that can help people to understand other bacterial processes.
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Chapter 9 Solutions
Microbiology: A Systems Approach
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