Effects of static and time-varying magnetic field exposure on bioluminescence pattern in Vibrio jasicida

Abstract

Static and variable magnetic field radiation, using magnets and radiofrequency sources, is believed to be a stress factor in living biological systems. Here we investigated the effects of the magnetic field by static fields and radiofrequency fields on bioluminescence using as a model organism the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio jasicida belonging to the Harvey clade. This bacterium was cultured either in the absence or in the presence of static (Bo, 0 Hz), very high frequency (VHF, 100 MHz), and ultra high frequency (UHF, 900 MHz) field irradiation in a climate chamber at three different temperatures of 20, 25 and 30 °C. Deconvolution analysis of spectral emission data demonstrated the presence of two major emission peaks centered, respectively, at about 486 nm (peak #1) and 457 nm (peak #2) during the logarithmic phase of growth. The exposure to magnetic fields led to evident changes in the bioluminescence pattern (peak intensity and wavelength) as a function of the incubation time demonstrating measurable effects of the magnetic field in a biological system, whose significance will be discussed.