title: Dehydroluciferyl-AMP is the main intermediate in the luciferin dependent synthesis of Ap4A catalyzed by firefly luciferase.
abstract: It was previously assumed that E x LH2-AMP was the intermediate complex in the synthesis of Ap4A catalyzed by firefly luciferase (EC 1.13.12.7), when luciferin (LH2) was used as cofactor. However, here we show that LH2 is partly transformed, shortly after the onset of the luciferase reaction, to dehydroluciferin (L) with formation of an E x L-AMP complex which is the main intermediate for the synthesis of Ap4A. Formation of three more derivatives of LH2 were also observed, related to the production of light by the enzyme. CoA, a known stimulator of light production, inhibits the synthesis of Ap4A by reacting with the E x L-AMP complex and yielding L-CoA.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Química Fisiológica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Diego
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sillero
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Günther Sillero
mesh_terms: D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000201:enzymology*; D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D049454:Firefly Luciferin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015226:Dinucleoside Phosphates; C107793:dehydroluciferin; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; C020733:diadenosine tetraphosphate; D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D008156:Luciferases