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Firefly luciferin is the luciferin found in many Lampyridae species, such as P. pyralis. It is the substrate of beetle luciferases ( EC 1.13.12.7) responsible for the characteristic yellow light emission from fireflies, though can cross-react to produce light with related enzymes from non-luminous species. [ 3 ]
Firefly luciferin and modified substrates are fatty acid mimics and have been used to localize fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in vivo. [16] Firefly luciferin is a substrate of the ABCG2 transporter and has been used as part of a bioluminescence imaging high throughput assay to screen for inhibitors of the transporter. [17]
In most cases, the principal chemical reaction in bioluminescence involves the reaction of a substrate called luciferin and an enzyme, called luciferase. Because these are generic names, luciferins and luciferases are often distinguished by the species or group, e.g. firefly luciferin or cypridina luciferin.
Vargulin, [1] also called Cypridinid luciferin, [2] Cypridina luciferin, or Vargula luciferin, is the luciferin found in the ostracod Cypridina hilgendorfii, also named Vargula hilgendorfii. [3] These bottom dwelling ostracods emit a light stream into water when disturbed presumably to deter predation.
D-luciferin is the substrate for firefly luciferase's bioluminescence reaction, while L-luciferin is the substrate for luciferyl-CoA synthetase activity. Both reactions are inhibited by the substrate's enantiomer: L-luciferin and D-luciferin inhibit the bioluminescence pathway and the CoA-ligase pathway, respectively. [ 3 ]
A dinoflagellate luciferase is capable of emitting light due to its interaction with its substrate and the luciferin-binding protein (LBP) in the scintillon organelle found in dinoflagellates. [10] The luciferase acts in accordance with luciferin and LBP in order to emit light but each component functions at a different pH.
The dinoflagellete type of luciferin used in this reaction is one of the four common types of luciferin found in the marine environment, [11] and the genome of P. fusiformis contains shared common origin with other dinoflagellates that contain the luciferase enzyme. [5] In the laboratory, two different types bioluminescent flashes have been ...
Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, [1] is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with a luciferin.