Information AboutLuciferase |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LUCIFERASE | |
| oxidoreductases | |
| bioluminescence | |
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The reaction is very energy efficient: nearly all of the energy input into the reaction is transformed into light. As a comparison, the Incandescent Light Bulb loses about 90% of its Energy to Heat . Luciferin and '''luciferase''' do not refer to a particular molecule. They are generic terms for a substrate and its associated Enzyme (or Protein ) that Catalyze a light-producing reaction. A variety of species regulate their light production using a luciferase. The most famous is the Firefly , although it even exists in organisms as different as the Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom and many marine creatures. In the firefly, the oxygen required is supplied through a tube in the abdomen called the Abdominal Trachea . Some organisms, notably the Click Beetle s, have several different luciferase enzymes, which each can produce different colors from the same luciferin. Luciferase can be produced in the lab through genetic techniques, and has a number of uses. Gene s for luciferase can be Genetically Engineered into organisms or transfected into cells. Mice , Silkworm s, and Potato es are just a few organisms that have already been engineered to produce the protein. Light will be emitted when the luciferase is exposed to the right luciferin Substrate . Photon emission can be detected by light sensitive apparatus such as a luminometer or specific microscopes. This allows visualization of certain biological processes, stages of infection, and provides other valuable sources of information. Luciferase can be used in Blood Bank s to determine if Red Blood Cell s are starting to break down. Laboratories can use luciferase to produce light in the presence of certain Disease s. Luciferase is used as a reporter protein in molecular studies, for example to test the activity of Transcription from specific Promoter s in with luciferase transfected cells, or to detect the level of cellular ATP . Luciferase is a very heat labile protein that is used in studies on protein denaturation, testing for example the protective capacities of Heat Shock Proteins . The possibilities for uses for luciferase continue to expand. LUCIFERASE IN FICTION
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