title: Cypridina bioluminescence: light-emitting oxyluciferin-luciferase complex.
abstract: Fluorescence of Cypridina oxyluciferin is greatly enhanced when it is bound to luciferase; the spectrum is thereby shifted, so that it corresponds precisely to the emission spectrum characteristic of the bioluminescentoxidation of luciferin. Thus the oxyluciferin-luciferase complex is the lightemitter. The binding is equimolar, with dissociation constant K(D) equal to 3x 10(-7) mole per liter. The molecular weight of the luciferase, according to three different methods, is between 52,000 and 57,000; molecular activities of luciferase for the bioluminescence reaction and for the hydrolysis of oxy-luciferin are 1600 and 2 per minute, respectively.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masugi