R. Fontes et al., SYNTHESIS OF DEHYDROLUCIFERIN BY FIREFLY LUCIFERASE - EFFECT OF DEHYDROLUCIFERIN, COENZYME-A AND NUCLEOSIDE TRIPHOSPHATES ON THE LUMINESCENT REACTION, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 237(2), 1997, pp. 445-450
The formation of dehydroluciferin (L) from luciferin (LH2) in the reac
tion catalyzed by firefly luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7) has been studied.
The E.LH2-AMP complex may follow two different pathways: towards produ
ction of light and towards the synthesis of the E.L-AMP complex, This
last step has an inhibitory effect on light emission as molecules of t
he enzyme are trapped in a light unproductive complex, The effects of
CoA and nucleoside 5'-triphosphates (NTPs) on light emission are quant
itatively different, CoA combines with the L moiety of the E.L-AMP com
plex, yielding L-CoA, promoting liberation of free luciferase, and inc
reasing light yield, NTP reacts with the AMP moiety of the same comple
x, generating adenosine(5')tetraphospho(5')nucleoside (Ap(4)N) and, pr
obably, the E.L complex and scarcely increasing light production, The
results are discussed in relation to previous reports, by others, on l
uciferase. (C) 1997 Academic Press.