Stereo-specificity and firefly bioluminescence, a comparison of natural and synthetic luciferins.

t Supported by Post-doctoral fellowship No. GF-7617-C2 from the Division of General Medical Sciences of the U.S. Public Health Service. l Levinthal, C., these PROCEEDINGS, 42, 394 (1956). 2 Levinthal, C., and C. A. Thomas, Biochim. et Biophys. A ta, 23, 453 (1957). 3Thomas, C. A., J. Gen. Physiol., 42, 503 (1959). 4 Mesels n, M., F. W. Stahl, and J. Vinograd, these PROCEEDINGS, 43, 581 (1957). 6 Fleischman, J. B., J. Molec. Biol., 2, 226 (1960). 6 Davison, P. F., these PROCEEDINGS, 45, 1560 (1959). 7 Levinthal, C., in Conference on Genetics, (Princeton: Josiah Macy, Jr., Foundation, 1960), p. 41. 8 Levinthal, C., and P. F. Davison (in preparation). 9 Hershey, A. D., and E. Burgi, J. Molec. Biol., 2, 143 (1960). 10 Mandell, J. D., and A. D. Hershey, Analytical Biochem., 1, 66 (1960). "' Peterson, E. A., and H. A. Sober, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 78, 751 (1956). 12 Stent, G. S., and C. R. Fuerst, Advances in Biol. and Med. Phys., 7, 2 (1960). 13 Rubenstein, I., C. A. Thomas, and A. D. Hershey, these PROCEEDINGS, 47, 1113 (1961). 14 Freese, E., Cold Spring Harbor Symposia Quant. Biol., 23, 13 (1958). 15 Kellenberger, E., in Microbial Genetics (Cambridge University Press, 1960), p. 39. 16 For economy of hypothesis we exclude from consideration the model of double linker strands bridging DNA segments. DNA itself admirably fulfills the requirements of such linkers (such linkers would have to replicate, for instance) and it seems unnecessary to postulate an added complication without experimental justification. 17 Cummings, D. J., and L. M. Kozloff, Biochim. et Biophys. Acta, 44, 445 (1960). 18 Meselson, M., and J. Weigle, these PROCEEDINGS, 47, 857 (1961).