54] Bacterial luciferase: FMNH2-aldehyde oxidase

Abstract

This chapter discusses the enzyme bacterial luciferase. Luciferases include all enzymes that are classed together because they all catalyze reactions in which an excited-state intermediate is formed and emit light. Although luciferases from different species of bacteria have certain differences in their structural features, all have some structural similarities and catalyze the same overall reaction. Bacterial luciferase can be used as an assay for any reactants or for any compound or enzyme that can be suitably coupled to the system. The rapidity and sensitivity of the light emission makes the assay highly versatile and easy. As a consequence of the fact that it can be rapidly assayed and has a catalytic cycle time measured in seconds, bacterial luciferase may be especially valuable for the study of the properties and reactivity of proteins and enzymes. Bacterial luciferase exhibits greatest bioluminescence activity with reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMN), although a variety of flavin isomers are shown to be weakly active in the production of light.