w. D. Mcelroy and j. w. Hastings 197 



Mg form an active intermediate, possibly a nucleotide, which can 

 now undergo rapid oxidation or peroxidation to form an excited mole- 

 cule. Whether the ATP contributes, along with the oxidation, activa- 

 tion energy for light emission cannot be answered at present because 

 of the extremely small amounts of the products formed during the 

 reaction. One point which seems clear, both for Cypridina and fire- 

 flies, is that the luciferins are irreversibly utilized during the light 

 reaction. 



Earlier studies on the preparation of crude luciferases from dried 

 and butyl alcohol-treated fireflies suggested the formation of an active 

 intermediate. Some of these preparations would emit light when 

 ground with water but failed to respond when ATP was added. It is 

 possible that this represents an active derivative of luciferin which 

 was preserved under these conditions. Further work will be necessary 

 before a definite conclusion can be made with respect to the function 

 of ATP in the light reaction. 



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