ANALOGS AND DERIVATIVES OF FIREFLY OXYLUCIFERIN, THE LIGHT EMITTER IN FIREFLY BIOLUMINESCENCE |
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| Authors: | EMIL H. WHITE DAVID F. ROSWELL |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA;Loyola College, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract— The 5-methyl analog of firefly oxyluciferin, two isomeric O-methyl ether derivatives of it and an O, O Ó-dimethyl ether derivative were synthesized and their UV absorption and fluorescence emission spectra were determined. Comparisons of the emission data with the emission wavelength in bioluminescence indicate that the mono-anions of firefly oxyluciferin are candidates for the light-emitters in bioluminescence. Further, we have found that the chemiluminescence of active esters of firefly luciferin produces (from the keto form of oxyluciferin) only red light emission under a variety of conditions; a yellow-green light emission (from the enolic forms of the oxyluciferin product) could not be elicited. |
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