Merck, FLE250-1VL, Firefly Lantern Extract

General description
The bioluminescent organism, Photinus pyralis firefly is the source of firefly lantern extract. The luciferase enzyme is 60 kDa enzyme which lacks prosthetic group and bound metal in its structure. The N-terminal harbors residues crucial for the bioluminescent activity and the C-terminal possess peroxisome targeting motif.
Application
Firefly Lantern Extract has been used in the detection of ATP concentrations by bioluminescence flash analysis in seawater samples, bioluminescence assay in river sediments samples, marine sediments and in quantifying extracellular ATP in red blood cells.
Fireflies have been used in several studies of bioluminescence. In particular they may be used in assays to determine toxicity pathways because bioluminescence can quantitatively measure a wide range of biological activities.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Firefly Lantern Extract containing luciferase catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of luciferin (LH2) in the presence of ATP, oxygen and Mg²⁺ to yield a light-emitter oxyluciferin.
Preparation Note
After reconstitution with 25 mL of water, vial will contain 0.06 M potassium phosphate, pH 7.4, and 0.02 M MgSO₄.
Other Notes
Crude luciferin and luciferase