• BMB Reports
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.578-585
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• 2006

The cDNA of a firefly luciferase from lantern mRNA of Lampyroidea maculata has been cloned, sequenced and functionally expressed. The cDNA has an open reading frame of 1647 bp and codes for a 548-residue-long polypeptide. Noteworthy, sequence comparison as well as homology modeling showed the highest degree of similarity with H. unmunsana and L. mingrelica luciferases, suggesting a close phylogenetic relationship despite the geographical distance separation. The deduced amino acid sequence of the luciferase gene of firefly L. maculata showed 93% identity to H. unmunsana. Superposition of the three-dimensional model of L. maculata luciferase (generated by homology modeling) and three dimensional structure of Photinus pyralis luciferase revealed that the spatial arrangements of Luciferin and ATP-binding residues are very similar. Putative signature of AMP-binding domain among the various firefly species and Lampyroidea maculata was compared and a striking similarity was found. Different motifs and sites have been identified in Lampyroidea maculata by sequence analysis. Expression and purification of luciferase from Lampyroidea maculata was carried out using Ni-NTA Sepharose. Bioluminescence emission spectrum was similar to Photinus pyralis luciferase.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.53-58
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• 2000

A cDNA encoding the luciferase of firefly Luciola lateralis was cloned downstream from the polyhedrin gene promoter of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus and expressed in B. mori cells (BmN-4). The coding soquence for luciferase was inserted into pBmKSK2 rectors) which was reconstructed from the polyhedrin-based transfer vector pBmKSKl by modifying cloning sites. Recombinant virus, BmK2-LUCDF, containing the luciferase gene was selected and purified in BmN-4 cells. The emission of luminescence by luciferase was only detected in BmK2-LUCDF-infected cell extracts. This result indicates that the cloned new luciferase gene of firefly L. lateralis can be expressed efficiently in baculovirus expression system and used as a useful reporter gene.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.155-159
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• 2003

We describe here the complete nucleotide sequence and the exon-intron structure of the luciferase gene of the firefly, Lampyris noctiluca. The luciferase gene of the L. noctiluca firefly consisted of six introns and seven exons coding for 547 amino acid residues. From the translational start site to the end of last exon, the genomic DNA length of the L. noctiluca luciferase gene spans 1,976 bp.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제11권5호
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• pp.498-502
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• 1998

The present study was designed, fIrst to develop the new methodology to measure the bioluminescence activity easily in live developing bovine embryos by photoncounting, and secondly to compare the expression efficiency of four luciferase reporter genes in bovine embryos at four- to 16-cell stages. In experiment 1, equimolar pSVlacZ and pSVEluc were microinjected into the pronucleus of fertilized bovine oocytes. At 2 days after micro injection, bioluminescence activity of these embryos was measured by photoncounting with a luminometer for 1 min, and lacZ gene expression in the same embryos was assayed by X-gal staining. All the luciferase-positive oocytes showed some bacterial ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity irrespective of the intensity. In experiment 2, four firefly luciferase genes (pTKEluc, pTK6WEluc, pSVEluc and pMiwluc) were introduced by micro injection, and the injected embryos were cultured for the following 2 days. Detection of the luciferase gene expression was done by photoncounting at 5 to 55 min. Over the measurement period, the luciferase activity was almost constant irrespective of the transgenes microinjected. The luciferase activity and expression efficiency at 2 days after microinjection were not significantly affected by the difference in the microinjected transgenes. The present results demonstrated that the bioluminescence activity in live developing bovine embryos could be measured quickly by photoncounting.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.155-165
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• 2004

In Korean Peninsula including neighboring islands and Japanese Islands identical firefly species or the species belonging to same genera occur together in both territories. These geographic firefly species, nonetheless, have never been subject to taxonomic consideration together until recently, lacking clear species status and phylogenetic relationships. A recent serial study of these fireflies using luciferase gene and/or portions of mitochondrial DNA sequences provided some insight into these populations in terms of validity of species name, phylogenetic relationships, and speciation event. In this article, thus, we have reviewed the recent progress on phylogenetic and/or population genetic aspects of these species, i.e., Hotaria-group fireflies, Luciola lateralis, and Pyrocoelia rufa to better understand the firefly species in these regions.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.181-189
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• 2003

We describe here the complete nucleotide sequence and the exon-intron structure of the luciferase gene of the firefly, Pyrocoelia rufa. The luciferase gene of the P. rufa firefly consisted of six introns and seven exons coding for 548 amino acid residues. From the translational start site to the end of last exon, however, the genomic DNA length of the P. rufa luciferase gene from the Korean and Chinese samples spans 1,968 bp and 1983 bp, respectively, and 3 amino acid residues were different to each other. Additionally, we also analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I(COI) gene of the Chinese P. rufa fireflies. Analysis of DNA sequences from the mitochondrial COI protein-coding gene revealed 4 mitochondrial DNA sequence-based haplotypes with a maximum divergence of 0.7％. With the 20 P. rufa haplotypes found in Korea, phylogenetic analyses using PAUP and PHYLIP subdivided the P. rufa into three clades, termed clades A and B for the Korean sample, and clade C for the Chinese sample.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.91-105
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• 2001

Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of firefly in Japan have been reviewed. Fourty-six lampyrid species and one rhagophthalmid are distributed in the Japanese Islands including the Ryukyus. Recently, molecular phylogenetic approaches have been employed in the systematic study of firefly using mitochondrial and luciferase genes. Based on the molecular phylogenetic trees, evolutionary process of flashing patterns related strictly to mating behavior was estimated. Furthermore, genetic diversity studies revealed geographic differentiation patterns within species, and conservation measures of firefly were proposed to protect genetic resources endemic to the localities.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.425-430
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• 2014

Amyloidogenic proteins often exhibit fibrillar polymorphism through alternative assembly processes, which has been considered to have possible pathological implications. Here, firefly luciferase (LUC) is shown to induce amyloid polymorphism of ${\alpha}$-synuclein, the major constituent of Lewy bodies found in Parkinson's disease, by acting as a novel template. The drastically accelerated fibrillation kinetics of ${\alpha}$-synuclein with LUC required the nucleation center produced by the active enzyme of LUC. Fluorescent dye binding, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy revealed the morphologically distinctive amyloid fibrils of ${\alpha}$-synuclein prepared in the absence or presence of LUC. As the altered morphological characteristics became inherent to the mature fibrils, those properties were inherited to next-generations via nucleation-dependent fibrillation process. The seed control, therefore, would be an effective means to modify amyloid fibrils with different biochemical characteristics. In addition, the LUC-directed amyloid fibrillar polymorphism also suggests that other cellular biomolecules including enzymes in general are able to diversify amyloid fibrils, which could be self-propagated with diversified biological activities, if any, inside cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.102-106
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• 2011

Thermodynamic stability and refolding kinetics of firefly luciferase and three representative mutants with depletion of negative charge on a flexible loop via substitution of Glu by Arg (ER mutant) or Lys (EK mutant) as well as insertion of another Arg in ER mutants (ERR mutant) was investigated. According to thermodynamic studies, structural stability of ERR and ER mutants are enhanced compared to WT protein, whereas, these mutants become prone to aggregation at higher temperatures. Accordingly, it was concluded that enhanced structural stability of mutants depends on more compactness of folded state, whereas aggregation at higher temperatures in mutants is due to weakening of intermolecular repulsive electrostatic interactions and increase of intermolecular hydrophobic interactions. Kinetic results indicate that early events of protein folding are accelerated in mutants.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.54-58
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• 2007

목적: Firefly luciferase (이하 Fluc)는 분자영상 분야에 가장 널리 쓰이는 리포터 유전자 중 하나이다. 발광반응의 기질로 사용되는 D-luciferin 은 가격이 비싸고 실험동물의 무게에 비례해서 기질을 주입 하므로 마우스나 렛트와 같은 소동물을 대상으로 전임상 연구가 이루어지고 있다. 본 실험실에서는 중동물인 토끼의 관절강에 D-luciferin을 국소 주입하여 발광영상을 획득하였다. 대상 및 방법: 연골세포를 일주일 동안 배양한 후 Fluc 아데노바이러스에 감염시켰다. 감염된 연골세포를 토끼의 관절강에 주입 또는 이식하였다. 착상된 무릎의 관절강부위에 D-luciferin을 국소 주입한 후 본 실험실서 보유하고 있는 CCD 카메라가 장착된 실시간 영상장비를 이용하여 날짜 별로 분자영상을 획득하였다. 결과: 착상되어진 토끼의 관절강 부위에 기질을 국소주입하여 영상을 성공적으로 획득하였다. 연골세포 주입 및 이식 후 1일째부터 토끼의 관절강에서 빛이 방출되었으며 토끼의 관절강에 주입하는 것보다 이식하는 방법이 강한 빛을 방출함을 알 수 있었다. 또한 7일째까지 토끼의 관절강에 연골세포를 이식한 것이 주입한 것보다 총 광량이 5배에서 10배까지 강하게 나타남을 확인하였고 9일째에는 약 10배정도 강하게 나타났다. 결론: 중동물인 토끼를 이용하여 Fluc을 발현하는 연골세포를 주입 또는 이식한 관절강에 D-luciferin을 국소 주입하여 영상을 성공적으로 획득하였으며, 이러한 결과를 통해 중동물에 소량의 D-luciferin 국소주입하여도 발광영상을 얻는데 충분함을 알 수 있었다.