STRUCTURE OF BACTERIAL LUCIFERASE

The generation of light by living organisms such as fireflies, glow-wo rms, mushrooms, fish, or bacteria growing on decaying materials has be en a subject of fascination throughout the ages, partly because it occ urs without the need for high temperatures. The chemistry behind the n umerous bioluminescent systems is quite varied, and the enzymes that c atalyze the reactions, the luciferases, are a large and evolutionarily diverse group. The structure of the best understood of these intrigui ng enzymes, bacterial luciferase, has recently been determined, allowi ng discussion of features of the protein in structural terms for the f irst time.