Siberian scientists have discovered the world's smallest luciferase

"Science in Siberia" based on the materials of the Open Science website

Scientists of the Institute of Biophysics SB RAS (Krasnoyarsk) have isolated from the marine planktonic crustacean Metridia longa the world's smallest molecule of luciferase, an enzyme that causes glow in many animal species.

The results of the work are presented in an article published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (Markova et al., The smallest natural high-active luciferase: Cloning and characterization of novel 16.5-kDa luciferase from copepod Metridia longa).

To date, several varieties of bioluminescent systems in living organisms are already known. Scientists use these systems for their own needs, in particular for bioimaging – visualization of processes occurring in a living organism. They are non-toxic, but at the same time they allow you to get very accurate results. The new molecule can become an extremely convenient tool for studying intracellular events.

Scientists have managed to reproduce the Metridia longa luciferase molecule in laboratory conditions. To begin with, scientists found a crustacean gene responsible for the formation of a miniature molecule, and cut it out of the animal's genome, and then introduced it into viruses that infected insect cells. After that, the genetically modified and infected cells were multiplied in the laboratory and a large amount of the necessary enzyme was isolated from them. This procedure is called cloning and protein expression in insect cells infected with baculovirus.

Tests have shown that the new luciferase, despite its small size, is highly active and thermally stable.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru15.01.2015