Luciferase (firefly) Proteins and Enzymes

Luciferase is a generic term for a group of oxidative enzymes used in bioluminescence. Firefly (Photinus pyralis) and bacterial luciferase enzymes are commonly used in assay systems such as cell viability assays, reporter gene assays, and for in vivo imaging. Bacterial luciferases are flavoenzymes composed of two subunits each encoded by the luxA and luxB genes, while the firefly luciferase is a single polypeptide specified by the luc gene (1). Firefly luciferase (theoretical molecular weight: ...