Takakura Hideo, Kojima Ryosuke, Ozawa Takeaki, Urano Yasuteru
Near InfraRed Photo-ImmunoTherapy Research Institute, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan.
Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2025;73(8):678-686. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c25-00302.
Oxyluciferin is the key photon emitter in the firefly/beetle luciferase-catalyzed bioluminescence reaction, and elucidating its chemical form within the active site of luciferase is essential for understanding and modulating emission wavelength. In this study, we focused on aminoluciferin (AL), a d-luciferin (d-LH) analog in which the hydroxy group is substituted with an amino group. AL has been widely used as an alternative substrate to d-LH and in the development of bioluminescence probes. To identify the emissive form of AL in bioluminescence, we synthesized OxyAL (the emitter derived from AL) and 5-methyl-OxyAL, and measured their fluorescence spectra under various conditions. We assigned the range of emission wavelengths of keto-, enol- and enolate-OxyAL using 5,5-dimethyl-OxyAL, fixed in the keto form, as a reference. Based on spectral assignments and comparison with the bioluminescence spectra of AL, we conclude that enolate-OxyAL is the most probable light-emitting species in the active site of luciferase. These findings provide new insight into AL-based bioluminescence.
氧化荧光素是萤火虫/甲虫荧光素酶催化的生物发光反应中的关键光子发射体,阐明其在荧光素酶活性位点内的化学形式对于理解和调节发射波长至关重要。在本研究中,我们聚焦于氨基荧光素(AL),它是一种d-荧光素(d-LH)类似物,其中羟基被氨基取代。AL已被广泛用作d-LH的替代底物以及用于生物发光探针的开发。为了确定生物发光中AL的发射形式,我们合成了氧化氨基荧光素(OxyAL,源自AL的发射体)和5-甲基-氧化氨基荧光素,并在各种条件下测量了它们的荧光光谱。我们以固定为酮形式的5,5-二甲基-氧化氨基荧光素为参考,确定了酮式、烯醇式和烯醇负离子式氧化氨基荧光素的发射波长范围。基于光谱归属以及与AL生物发光光谱的比较,我们得出结论,烯醇负离子式氧化氨基荧光素是荧光素酶活性位点中最可能的发光物种。这些发现为基于AL的生物发光提供了新的见解。