title: Cloning and characterization of the homologous genes of firefly luciferase in the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor.
abstract: Three homologous genes of firefly luciferase were cloned from the non-luminous beetle Tenebrio molitor. Three gene products for homologues, TmLL-1, TmLL-2 and TmLL-3, showed fatty acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) synthetic activity, but not luciferase activity with firefly luciferin. The transcripts were detected through the developmental stages in T. molitor. These results suggested that firefly luciferase was evolved from a fatty acyl-coenzyme A synthetase by gene duplications in the insect.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan. oba@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inouye
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000235:genetics; D049449:Luminescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D049409:Luciferases, Firefly; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases