Quantum yield bacterial bioluminescence

The reported quantum yields of the long-chain aldehydes in the luminescence reaction catalyzed by P. fischeri luciferase are 0.1 for dodecanal with the standard I (Lee, 1972) 0.13 for decanal with the standard I (McCapra and Hysert, 1973) and 0.15-0.16 for decanal, dodecanal and tetradecanal with the standard III (Shimomura et al., 1972). Thus, the quantum yield of long-chain aldehydes in the bacterial bioluminescence reaction appears to be in the range of 0.10-0.16. 

Lee, J. (1972). Bacterial bioluminescence. Quantum yields and stoichiometry of the reactants reduced flavin mononucleotide, dodecanal and oxygen, and of a product hydrogen peroxide. Biochemistry 11 3350-3359. 

McCapra, F., and Hysert, D. W. (1973). Bacterial bioluminescence — identification of fatty acid as product, its quantum yield and a suggested mechanism. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 52 298-304. 

Quantula (Dyakia), 180, 334 Quantum yield, xvi, 361, 362 aequorin, 104, 106, 110 aldehydes in bacterial bioluminescence, 36, 41 Chaetopterus photoprotein, 224 coelenterazine, 85, 143, 149 Cypridina luciferin, 69-71 definition, xvi, 361 Diplocardia bioluminescence, 242 firefly luciferin, 12 fluorescent compound F, 73 Latia luciferin, 190 pholasin, 197 PMs, 286... 

Bacterial L. has not yet been characterized. The corresponding luciferase produces luminescence in the presence of FMNH and straight chain aldehydes with more than 7 C-atoms. Structural elucidation of L. was delayed on account of their low natural concentration. 30,000 fireflies were required for the isolation of IS mg L., and 40,000 sea pansies yielded only O.S mg of the Renitla L. Many L. and synthetic analogs show a spontaneous luminescence in proton-free solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, but the quantum yield is lower than in bioluminescence. See also Photoproteins. 

Two types of bioluminescence can be characterized firefly-QL, and bacterial-BL,. BL of living systems is extremely bright because each molecule of the product is formed in an electronically-excited state. The quantum yield of BL reactions is extremely high (0.1-1.0) compared to the CL of non-enzymatie oxidized organic matter. Hence, high efficiency is reached by the application of highly specific enzymes - luciferases. These are especially effective for their substrates — luciferins, which is one of the main conditions needed for chemical redox energy transformations into... 

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