Palette of Luciferases: Natural Biotools for New Applications in Biomedicine

Overview

Journal Acta Naturae

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Aug 4

PMID 32742724

Citations 3

Authors

A A Kotlobay

Z M Kaskova

I V Yampolsky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Optoanalytical methods based on using genetically encoded bioluminescent enzymes, luciferases, allow one to obtain highly sensitive signals, are non-invasive, and require no external irradiation. Bioluminescence is based on the chemical reaction of oxidation of a low-molecular-weight substrate (luciferin) by atmospheric oxygen, which is catalyzed by an enzyme (luciferase). Relaxation of the luciferin oxidation product from its excited state is accompanied by a release of a quantum of light, which can be detected as an analytical signal. The ability to express luciferase genes in various heterological systems and high quantum yields of luminescence reactions have made these tools rather popular in biology and medicine. Among several naturally available luciferases, a few have been found to be useful for practical application. Luciferase size, the wavelength of its luminescence maximum, enzyme thermostability, optimal pH of the reaction, and the need for cofactors are parameters that may differ for luciferases from different groups of organisms, and this fact directly affects the choice of the application area for each enzyme. It is quite important to overview the whole range of currently available luciferases based on their biochemical properties before choosing one bioluminescent probe suitable for a specific application.

Citing Articles

A Comprehensive Exploration of Bioluminescence Systems, Mechanisms, and Advanced Assays for Versatile Applications.

Dunuweera A, Dunuweera S, Ranganathan K Biochem Res Int. 2024; 2024:8273237.

PMID: 38347947 PMC: 10861286. DOI: 10.1155/2024/8273237.

Quantitative Analysis of Bioluminescence Optical Signal.

Niwa K, Kubota H, Enomoto T, Ichino Y, Ohmiya Y Biosensors (Basel). 2023; 13(2).

PMID: 36831989 PMC: 9953788. DOI: 10.3390/bios13020223.

Restoration of the Indicator Properties of Whole-cell Luminescent Biosensors.

Kuznetsov D, Mironov A, Neschislyaev V, Volkhin I, Orlova E, Shilina A Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2022; 194(9):4081-4092.

PMID: 35612718 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-022-03977-7.

References

Branchini B, Magyar R, Murtiashaw M, Anderson S, Zimmer M . Site-directed mutagenesis of histidine 245 in firefly luciferase: a proposed model of the active site. Biochemistry. 1998; 37(44):15311-9. DOI: 10.1021/bi981150d. View

Xin X, Xi L, Tu S . Functional consequences of site-directed mutation of conserved histidyl residues of the bacterial luciferase alpha subunit. Biochemistry. 1991; 30(47):11255-62. DOI: 10.1021/bi00111a010. View

Wang Y, Kubota H, Yamada N, Irie T, Akiyama H . Quantum yields and quantitative spectra of firefly bioluminescence with various bivalent metal ions. Photochem Photobiol. 2011; 87(4):846-52. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2011.00931.x. View

Riedel C, Monk I, Casey P, Morrissey D, OSullivan G, Tangney M . Improved luciferase tagging system for Listeria monocytogenes allows real-time monitoring in vivo and in vitro. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007; 73(9):3091-4. PMC: 1892880. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02940-06. View

Inouye S, Sato J, Sahara-Miura Y, Yoshida S, Hosoya T . Luminescence enhancement of the catalytic 19 kDa protein (KAZ) of Oplophorus luciferase by three amino acid substitutions. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2014; 445(1):157-62. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.01.133. View

Kotlobay A, Dubinnyi M, Purtov K, Guglya E, Rodionova N, Petushkov V . Bioluminescence chemistry of fireworm . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019; 116(38):18911-18916. PMC: 6754589. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902095116. View

Kaskova Z, Tsarkova A, Yampolsky I . 1001 lights: luciferins, luciferases, their mechanisms of action and applications in chemical analysis, biology and medicine. Chem Soc Rev. 2016; 45(21):6048-6077. DOI: 10.1039/c6cs00296j. View

Cronin M, Sleator R, Hill C, Fitzgerald G, Van Sinderen D . Development of a luciferase-based reporter system to monitor Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 persistence in mice. BMC Microbiol. 2008; 8:161. PMC: 2564955. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-8-161. View

Tannous B, Kim D, Fernandez J, Weissleder R, Breakefield X . Codon-optimized Gaussia luciferase cDNA for mammalian gene expression in culture and in vivo. Mol Ther. 2005; 11(3):435-43. DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2004.10.016. View

10.

Verhaegent M, Christopoulos T . Recombinant Gaussia luciferase. Overexpression, purification, and analytical application of a bioluminescent reporter for DNA hybridization. Anal Chem. 2002; 74(17):4378-85. DOI: 10.1021/ac025742k. View

11.

Rahnama S, Saffar B, Kahrani Z, Nazari M, Emamzadeh R . Super RLuc8: A novel engineered Renilla luciferase with a red-shifted spectrum and stable light emission. Enzyme Microb Technol. 2016; 96:60-66. DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2016.09.009. View

12.

Remy I, Michnick S . A highly sensitive protein-protein interaction assay based on Gaussia luciferase. Nat Methods. 2006; 3(12):977-9. DOI: 10.1038/nmeth979. View

13.

Kaskova Z, Dorr F, Petushkov V, Purtov K, Tsarkova A, Rodionova N . Mechanism and color modulation of fungal bioluminescence. Sci Adv. 2017; 3(4):e1602847. PMC: 5406138. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602847. View

14.

Larionova M, Markova S, Vysotski E . Bioluminescent and structural features of native folded Gaussia luciferase. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2018; 183:309-317. DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.04.050. View

15.

Rocchetta H, Boylan C, FOLEY J, Iversen P, LeTourneau D, McMillian C . Validation of a noninvasive, real-time imaging technology using bioluminescent Escherichia coli in the neutropenic mouse thigh model of infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2000; 45(1):129-37. PMC: 90250. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.45.1.129-137.2001. View

16.

Viviani V, Bechara E, Ohmiya Y . Cloning, sequence analysis, and expression of active Phrixothrix railroad-worms luciferases: relationship between bioluminescence spectra and primary structures. Biochemistry. 1999; 38(26):8271-9. DOI: 10.1021/bi9900830. View

17.

Hannah Degeling M, Bovenberg M, Lewandrowski G, de Gooijer M, Vleggeert-Lankamp C, Tannous M . Directed molecular evolution reveals Gaussia luciferase variants with enhanced light output stability. Anal Chem. 2013; 85(5):3006-12. PMC: 3617556. DOI: 10.1021/ac4003134. View

18.

Oba Y, Tsuduki H, Kato S, Ojika M, Inouye S . Identification of the luciferin-luciferase system and quantification of coelenterazine by mass spectrometry in the deep-sea luminous ostracod Conchoecia pseudodiscophora. Chembiochem. 2004; 5(11):1495-9. DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200400102. View

19.

Viviani V, Uchida A, Viviani W, Ohmiya Y . The influence of Ala243 (Gly247), Arg215 and Thr226 (Asn230) on the bioluminescence spectra and pH-sensitivity of railroad worm, click beetle and firefly luciferases. Photochem Photobiol. 2002; 76(5):538-44. DOI: 10.1562/0031-8655(2002)076<0538:tioaga>2.0.co;2. View

20.

Inouye S, Sahara Y . Identification of two catalytic domains in a luciferase secreted by the copepod Gaussia princeps. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007; 365(1):96-101. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.10.152. View