Premium
Identification of Luciferyl Adenylate and Luciferyl Coenzyme A Synthesized by Firefly Luciferase
Author(s) -
Fraga Hugo,
Esteves da Silva Joaquim C. G.,
Fontes Rui
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.200300735
Subject(s) - luciferase , luciferases , bioluminescence , cofactor , luciferin , adenylate kinase , coenzyme a , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme , transfection , reductase , gene
The firefly luciferase reaction intermediate luciferyl adenylate was detected by RP‐HPLC analysis when the luciferase reaction was performed under a nitrogen atmosphere. Although this compound is always specified as an intermediate in the light‐production reaction, this is the first report of its identification by HPLC in a luciferase assay medium. Under a low‐oxygen atmosphere, luciferase can catalyze the synthesis of luciferyl coenzyme A from luciferin, ATP, and coenzyme A, but in air dehydroluciferyl coenzyme A was produced. The luciferase‐catalyzed synthesis of these coenzyme A derivatives may be a consequence of the postulated recent evolutionary origin of firefly luciferases from an ancestral acyl‐coenzyme A synthetase.