Lampteromyces bioluminescence--1. Identification of riboflavin as the light emitter in the mushroom L. japonicus.

The bioluminescence of the luminous mushroom, Lampteromyces japonicus, was studied by using the mushroom gills and also the luminous mycelia, the latter being cultured from the isolated spores and grown in a potato sucrose medium. The luminescence intensity of the mushroom gills and the cultured mycelia was measured in an aqueous suspension under various conditions. The original intensity was enhanced by exposing the luminous cells to oxygen for several hours or to acids or bases for a short period. This enhancement enabled measurement of their bioluminescence spectra which were identical to the fluorescence spectrum of riboflavin, having a maximum at 524 nm. The green fluorescent substance was extracted with cold water from the mushroom and it was identified as riboflavin by spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses. Riboflavin was concluded to be the light emitter of this mushroom.