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Pyridone Luciferins and Mutant Luciferases for Bioluminescence Imaging
Author(s) -
Zhang Brendan S.,
Jones Krysten A.,
McCutcheon David C.,
Prescher Jennifer A.
Publication year - 2018
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.201700542
Subject(s) - luciferases , bioluminescence , bioluminescence imaging , mutant , chemistry , biophysics , luciferase , biochemistry , biology , transfection , gene
New applications for bioluminescence imaging require an expanded set of luciferase enzymes and luciferin substrates. Here, we report two novel luciferins for use in vitro and in cells. These molecules comprise regioisomeric pyridone cores that can be accessed from a common synthetic route. The analogues exhibited unique emission spectra with firefly luciferase, although photon intensities remained weak. Enhanced light outputs were achieved by using mutant luciferase enzymes. One of the luciferin–luciferase pairs produced light on par with native probes in live cells. The pyridone analogues and complementary luciferases add to a growing set of designer probes for bioluminescence imaging.