Firefly luciferase is a 62 kDa protein that catalyzes the production of light. The enzyme requires ATP, molecular oxygen, and luciferin, a heterocyclic compound, to generate light in a two-step process.1 The light-producing reaction is initiated by luciferin activation (adenylation of its carboxylate group) and proceeds in the presence of molecular oxygen to yield a photon of yellow-green light. Firefly luciferase is used extensively in molecular and cell biology, in particular for the efficient detection and quantitation of ATP and as a reporter for genetic function.
This product is a recombinant luciferase from Photinus pyralis (American firefly) produced from the luc gene expressed in E. coli.
