title: Structure and evolution of the luciferin-regenerating enzyme (LRE) gene from the firefly Photinus pyralis.
abstract: To study the structural features of genes for the luciferin-regenerating enzyme (LRE), the entire gene along with 524 bp of upstream sequence was determined from Photinus pyralis (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). The LRE gene revealed an open reading frame composed of five exons divided by four introns ranging in size from 47 to 904 bp. The deduced LRE amino acid sequence showed identity to senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) from a number of insects and mammals including four putative SMP30 sequences from Anopheles gambiae. Gene structure comparisons showed some intron/exon site conservation with A. gambiae and mammalian SMP30 proteins but not Drosophila. LRE and luciferase sequence comparisons revealed two conserved putative luciferin-binding sites. The evolution of LRE was discussed in relation to its function.
authors.affiliation: CEH-Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK. jcda@ceh.ac.uk
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D049454:Firefly Luciferin / Q000378:metabolism; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008025:Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D049454:Firefly Luciferin; D004247:DNA; D008025:Ligases; C471161:luciferin-regenerating enzyme, insect