Abstract
Bacterial luciferase catalyzes the oxidation of FMNH2and a long-chain aliphatic aldehyde by O2to yield FMN, fatty acid, water, and light. The in vitro emission spectrum has a peak near 490 nm and a quantum yield of 0.1-0.2, but both could vary somewhat depending on the bacterial strain from which the luciferase is obtained. The mechanism for this bioluminescent reaction has been the focus of considerable research interests. In this report, our recent studies on the bacterial bioluminescence mechanism will be summarized, with special emphases on a new radical mechanism and the use of chemical models. Some earlier findings from our and other laboratories which are of mechanistic significance will also be briefly discussed.
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Tu, SC., Mager, H.I.X. (1991). Recent Advances in Chemical Modeling of Bacterial Bioluminescence Mechanism. In: Riklis, E. (eds) Photobiology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3732-8_35
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3732-8_35
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