396 IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



D. ANTIBODY AGAINST LUCIFERASE-OXIDATIVE ENZYME 

 OF LUMINESCENCE 



Bioluminescence is an oxidative enzyme reaction. According to 

 Harvey (1935, 1940), luminescence occurs in about forty different 

 orders of animals and two of plants, the bacteria and fungi. 



Luminescence is due to the interaction of two substances, luciferin, 

 a thermostable oxidizable substance, and luciferase, a thermolabile 

 enzyme, in the presence of water and oxygen. In the absence of oxy- 

 gen luminescence does not occur. Luciferin is the substrate upon 

 which luciferase exercises catalytic oxidation producing light. When 

 oxidized by chemical agents luciferin does not give light. The oxida- 

 tion of luciferin is a dehydrogenation reaction yielding oxyluciferin; 

 the latter is again hydrogenated (reduced) forming luciferin. Lucifer- 

 ase also plays the role of a substance capable of excitation to lumi- 

 nesce. Luminescence results from the production of energy-rich 

 molecules of luciferase which pick up energy from the oxidation of 

 luciferin to oxyluciferin. Luciferase molecules can only be excited 

 by a particular kind of luciferin. When luciferase and luciferin from 

 two different forms having luminescence of two different colors are 

 mixed, the animal supplying the luciferase determines the color of 

 the resulting luminescence. This type of specificity is a universal 

 characteristic of biocatalysts. 



Luciferase is very active in dilute solution, one part in 4X10^ giv- 

 ing visible light. It accelerates the velocity of oxidation of luciferin 

 and may be used many times, remaining practically unchanged at the 

 end of the reaction. It is nondialyzable, destroyed by trypsin, insol- 

 uble in alcohol and in all fat solvents. It precipitates with protein 

 precipitants. 



Luciferin is a dialyzable, non-protein substance. It is soluble in al- 

 cohols and in 90 per cent acetone. In purified form it is soluble in 

 benzene and other fat solvents. It is soluble in water, acid and alkaline 

 solutions, and is readily oxidized in the latter solution. It is stable in 

 water solution for many years in the absence of oxygen. Its chemical 

 nature is unknown. 



Antibody Against Luciferase. Harvey and Deitrick (1930) re- 

 ported the production of antibody in rabbits against luciferase but 



