Firefly bioluminescence: a mechanistic approach of luciferase catalyzed reactions.

Abstract in brief

• Firefly luciferase is an enzyme that enables bioluminescence by catalyzing a two-step chemical reaction involving the substrate luciferin, producing light in the yellow-green spectrum.
• The process involves first forming an intermediate called LH2AMP through reaction with ATP, followed by oxidation and decarboxylation to generate oxyluciferin, CO2, AMP, and photons of light.
• Additionally, luciferase has other activities, such as synthesizing certain CoA derivatives and nucleoside polyphosphates, and it shows stereospecificity in using different isomers of luciferin; these features are useful in various scientific applications like studying metabolites, gene expression, and bioimaging.]