Difference between revisions of "Team:UC San Diego"
Line 74: | Line 74: | ||
<div class="underright-caption wow animated fadeInRight text-center"> | <div class="underright-caption wow animated fadeInRight text-center"> | ||
<h2>Uses of Luciferase</h2> | <h2>Uses of Luciferase</h2> | ||
− | <font size= | + | <font size=2>The lux system’s bioluminescent reaction has been the subject of intense research. It is most often used as a reporter for gene expression and for tracking animal cells in vivo, and has more recently been utilized in synthetic biology for biosensor construction. As a result, it offers a powerful tool to researchers seeking to monitor a wide variety of biological and chemical processes.</font> |
<h2>About the Lux System</h2> | <h2>About the Lux System</h2> | ||
The luminescent output of the lux system is jointly controlled by the activity of luciferase and a substrate-producing enzymatic complex. Firefly luminescence is the most well-known example of this type of reaction, but bioluminescent reactions also occur in beetles, marine bacteria, and other organisms. Between species, these reactions differ mechanistically and involve structurally distinct substrates and enzymes. We are studying the bacterial lux system, in which an enzyme complex converts fatty acids into an aldehyde. Catalyzed by luciferase, these aldehydes then react with FMNH2 and oxygen, emitting a photon and producing a fatty acid, FMN, and water. FMNH2 is then regenerated by a flavin reductase, allowing for continuous light production with oxygen input. | The luminescent output of the lux system is jointly controlled by the activity of luciferase and a substrate-producing enzymatic complex. Firefly luminescence is the most well-known example of this type of reaction, but bioluminescent reactions also occur in beetles, marine bacteria, and other organisms. Between species, these reactions differ mechanistically and involve structurally distinct substrates and enzymes. We are studying the bacterial lux system, in which an enzyme complex converts fatty acids into an aldehyde. Catalyzed by luciferase, these aldehydes then react with FMNH2 and oxygen, emitting a photon and producing a fatty acid, FMN, and water. FMNH2 is then regenerated by a flavin reductase, allowing for continuous light production with oxygen input. |
Revision as of 19:20, 13 July 2015