Team:Cambridge/Bioluminescence/Luciferin Regeneration
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- | Fireflies are easily visible in the evening, whereas colonies of bacteria expressing luciferase are not. We hope to remove this divide by expressing further enzymes exploited by fireflies. In <i>E. coli</i> and in eukaryotes, each molecule of luciferin that emits light is turned into oxyluciferin and cannot be regenerated. A further problem is that this oxyluciferin inhibits the further reactions of luciferase. | + | Fireflies are easily visible in the evening, whereas colonies of bacteria expressing luciferase are not. We hope to remove this divide by expressing further enzymes exploited by fireflies. In <i>E. coli</i> and in eukaryotes, each molecule of luciferin that emits light is turned into oxyluciferin and cannot be regenerated. A further problem is that this oxyluciferin inhibits the further reactions of luciferase (see [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11457857 Gomi & Kajiyama]) |
We believe that the newly characterised <strong>luciferin regenerating enzyme</strong> may solve these problems and allow brighter longer lasting light output without further addition of substrate. | We believe that the newly characterised <strong>luciferin regenerating enzyme</strong> may solve these problems and allow brighter longer lasting light output without further addition of substrate. |
Revision as of 14:36, 23 October 2010
Bioluminescence: Luciferin Regeneration
Artist's impression of what we would like
to achieve
Fireflies are easily visible in the evening, whereas colonies of bacteria expressing luciferase are not. We hope to remove this divide by expressing further enzymes exploited by fireflies. In E. coli and in eukaryotes, each molecule of luciferin that emits light is turned into oxyluciferin and cannot be regenerated. A further problem is that this oxyluciferin inhibits the further reactions of luciferase (see [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11457857 Gomi & Kajiyama])
We believe that the newly characterised luciferin regenerating enzyme may solve these problems and allow brighter longer lasting light output without further addition of substrate.