Occurrence of bromoperoxidase in the marine green macro-alga, ulvella lens, and emission of volatile brominated methane by the enzyme

Bromoperoxidase activity was detected in the marine green macro-alga, Uvell a lens, which is used to induce the larval metamorphosis of sea urchin in a quaculture in Japan. The enzyme activity was enhanced 8.5- and 2.2-fold by the addition of cobalt and vanadium ions to the reaction mixture, respectiv ely. The volatile halogenated compounds dibromomethane and tribromomethane were formed in the reaction mixture when the enzyme was incubated with oxal oacetate, hydrogen peroxide and potassium bromide. These results suggest th at dibromomethane, which was reported to be released by CT. lens and play a n important role as the inducer of larval settlement and metamorphosis, is produced by bromoperoxidase in the alga. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.