Studies on the Oxidation of Luciferin without Luciferase and the Mechanism of Bioluminescence
نویسنده
چکیده
In five groups of luminous animals it can be shown that luminescence is connected with the oxidation of a substance, luciferin, in aqueous solution, in presence of an enzyme, luciferase, and dissolved oxygen. In the mollusc, Pholas dactylus, Dubois (1) has been able to oxidize Pholas luciferin with luminescence by KMn04, HzO, BaOz, PbOa, and hypochlorites. I have been unable to oxidize with luminescence the aqueous solutions of luciferin from an ostracod crustacean, Cypridina hilgendorfii, by the above oxidizing agents and others to be described below. Oxidation of Cypridina luciferin takes place but no light appears. The oxidation product (oxyluciferin) formed can be reduced to luciferin again, whether luciferase is present or not, by nascent hydrogen, sodium hydrosulfite, and other reducing agents (2, 3). I have already (1918) given evidence to indicate that the reaction is of the following type:
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