Crystal structure of firefly luciferase
Firefly luciferase
Identifiers
Symbol(s)	Firefly luciferase
Entrez	[1]
RefSeq	[2]
UniProt	Q27755_PHOPY
PDB	1LCI
Other data
EC number	1.13.12.7

Luciferase is a generic name for enzymes commonly used in nature for bioluminescence. The name itself is derived from Lucifer, which means light-bearer. The most famous one is firefly luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7) from the firefly Photinus pyralis. In luminescent reactions, light is produced by the oxidation of a luciferin (a pigment), sometimes involving Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The rates of this reaction between luciferin and oxygen are extremely slow until they are catalyzed by luciferase, often mediated by the presence of calcium ions (an analog of muscle contraction)^[1]. The reaction takes place in two steps: Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x750, 349 KB) This is the crystal structure of firefly luciferase. ... Hugo is a masculine name. ... The Entrez logo The Entrez Global Query Cross-Database Search System allows access to databases at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website. ... The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), which is a branch of the US National Institutes of Health. ... Swiss-Prot is a curated biological database of protein sequences created in 1986 by Amos Bairoch during his PhD and developed by the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and the European Bioinformatics Institute. ... The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is a repository for 3-D structural data of proteins and nucleic acids. ... The Enzyme Commission number (EC number) is a numerical classification scheme for enzymes, based on the chemical reactions they catalyze. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Image of hundreds of agar plates cultured with a species of bioluminescent marine bacteria displayed in a pattern as an art exhibit called Bioglyphs at Montana State University–Bozeman. ... Lucifer, as depicted in Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (1863). ... Luciferase is a generic name for enzymes commonly used in nature for bioluminescence. ... The Enzyme Commission number (EC number) is a numerical classification scheme for enzymes, based on the chemical reactions they catalyze. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ... Luciferin is a generic name for light-emitting pigments found in organisms capable of bioluminescence, like fireflies, deep-sea fish and microbes. ... Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide that is most important as a molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... Generic graph showing the effect of a catalyst in an hypotetical exothermic chemical reaction. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle A muscle contraction (also known as a muscle twitch or simply twitch) occurs when a muscle cell (called a muscle fiber) lengthens or shortens. ...

The reaction is very energy efficient: nearly all of the energy input into the reaction is transformed into light. As a comparison, the incandescent light bulb loses about 90% of its energy to heat. Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide that is most important as a molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer. ... In chemistry, the anion, the salts, and the esters of pyrophosphoric acid are called pyrophosphates. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... Adenosine monophosphate, also known as 5-adenylic acid and abbreviated AMP, is a nucleotide that is found in RNA. It is an ester of phosphoric acid with the nucleoside adenosine. ... The light bulb is one of the most significant inventions in the history of the human race, illuminating the darkness of the evening and bringing light indoors at all times in order focus on the task at hand. ... In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is defined as energy in transit. ...

Luciferin and luciferase are not specific molecules. They are generic terms for a substrate and its associated enzyme (or protein) that catalyze a light-producing reaction. A variety of species regulate their light production using different luciferases in a variety of light-emitting reactions. The most famous is the firefly, although it exists in organisms as different as the Jack-O-Lantern mushroom and many marine creatures. In the firefly, the oxygen required is supplied through a tube in the abdomen called the abdominal trachea. Some organisms, notably the click beetles, have several different luciferase enzymes, which each can produce different colors from the same luciferin. Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... In chemistry and biology, catalysis (in Greek meaning to annul) is the acceleration of the rate of a chemical reaction by means of a substance, called a catalyst, that is itself unchanged chemically by the overall reaction. ... For the TV show, see Firefly (TV series). ... Binomial name Omphalotus olearius (DC. ex Fr. ... Genera Click beetles (family Elateridae), sometimes called elaters, Skipjack, Snapping, or Spring Beetle, are distinguished by the unique click sound they produce. ...

Applications

Luciferase can be produced in the lab through genetic engineering for a number of purposes. Luciferase genes can be synthesized and inserted into organisms or transfected into cells. Mice, silkworms, and potatoes are just a few organisms that have already been engineered to produce the protein. An iconic image of genetic engineering; this autoluminograph from 1986 of a glowing transgenic tobacco plant bearing the luciferase, illustrating the possibilities of genetic engineering. ... For other meanings of this term, see gene (disambiguation). ... Feral mouse A mouse (plural mice) is a rodent that belongs to one of numerous species of small mammals. ... Binomial name Bombyx mori Linnaeus, 1758 For other senses of this word, see silkworm (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ...

Ex-vivo imaging is a very powerful technique for studying cell populations in whole animals. Different types of cells (e.g. bone marrow stem cells, T-cells) can be engineered to express a luciferase allowing their non-invasive visualization inside a live animal using a sensitive CCD camera. A charge-coupled device (CCD), is an integrated circuit containing an array of linked, or coupled, capacitors. ...

Light is emitted when luciferase is exposed to the appropriate luciferin substrate. Photon emission can be detected by light sensitive apparatus such as a luminometer or modified optical microscopes. This allows observation of biological processes and stages of infection, for example. Luciferase can be used in blood banks to determine if red blood cells are starting to break down. Forensic investigators can use a dilute solution containing the enzyme to uncover traces of blood remaining on surfaces at a crime scene. Laboratories can employ luciferase to emit light in the presence of certain diseases. Luciferase is used as a reporter protein in molecular studies, for example to test the activity of transcription from specific promoters in with luciferase transfected cells, or to detect the level of cellular ATP. Luciferase is a very heat sensitive protein that is used in studies on protein denaturation, testing the protective capacities of heat shock proteins. The opportunities for using luciferase continue to expand. In biochemistry, a substrate is a molecule upon which an enzyme acts. ... A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusions. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues via the blood. ... Forensics or forensic science is the application of science to questions which are of interest to the legal system. ... It has been suggested that Refractory disease be merged into this article or section. ... Transcription is the process through which a DNA sequence is enzymatically copied by an RNA polymerase to produce a complementary RNA. Or, in other words, the transfer of genetic information from DNA into RNA. In the case of protein-encoding DNA, transcription is the beginning of the process that ultimately... In genetics, a promoter is a DNA sequence that enables a gene to be transcribed. ... Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide that is most important as a molecular currency of intracellular energy transfer. ... In biochemistry, denaturation is a structural change in biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins, such that they are no longer in their native state (the shape which allows for optimal biological activity). ... A heat shock protein (HSP) is a one of group of proteins which increase their expression when the cells which contain them are exposed to elevated temperatures. ...

See also

• Firefly
• Quorum sensing
• Bioluminescence

For the TV show, see Firefly (TV series). ... Quorum sensing is the ability of bacteria to communicate and coordinate behavior via signaling molecules. ... Image of hundreds of agar plates cultured with a species of bioluminescent marine bacteria displayed in a pattern as an art exhibit called Bioglyphs at Montana State University–Bozeman. ...

References

1. ^ IUBMB Enzyme Nomenclature Renilla luciferin reaction is triggered by calcium ions. (cited September 6, 2006)

• Thomas O Baldwin. Firefly luciferase: the structure is known, but the mystery remains Structure. 1996 Mar 15;4(3):223-8.
• Greer LF 3rd, Szalay AA. Imaging of light emission from the expression of luciferases in living cells and organisms: a review Luminescence. 2002 Jan-Feb;17(1):43-74.

September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

External links

• Chemistry of Bioluminescence
• PDB for Firefly Luciferase
• PDB for Bacterial Luciferase
• Nitric oxide and firefly flashing