Applications:

Luciferases are enzymes that use a substrate called luciferin, along with oxygen and ATP, in an energetic process that produces light—like the yellow glow of fireflies. The power of luciferase has been harnessed by scientists to devise reactions whose light output is used to monitor biological processes including gene expression, biomolecular binding, and cell viability.
Luciferin is a common bioluminescent reporter used for in vivo imaging of the expression of luciferase. This water soluble substrate for the Firefly luciferase enzyme utilizes ATP and Mg2+ as co-factors to emit a characteristic yellow-green emission in the presence of oxygen, which shifts to red light in vivo at 37°C. Through the utilization of ATP, the reaction can be further used to indicate the presence of energy or life in order to function as a life-death stain. 

Luciferin is a common reagent used throughout the biotechnology field and specifically for in vivo imaging. Luciferase labeled tumor cells, stem cells or infectious diseases are often inoculated into research animals such as rats or mice for investigation. The injection of luciferin allows for the real-time, non invasive monitoring of disease progression and/or drug efficacy in these model systems through Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI).

Luciferin is also commonly used for in vitro research, including luciferase and ATP assays, gene reporter assays, high throughput sequencing and various contamination assays.

Firefly Luciferin is identical to Beetle Luciferin

Product Specifications:

D-Luciferin, Sodium Salt monohydrate

4,5-Dihydro-2-(6-hydroxy-2-benzothiazolyl)-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid sodium salt

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY GRADE (Premium Pure)

Formula: C11H9N2O4S2Na

MW: 320.32 g/mol

Color: Light yellow powder

Purity: >99% pure (Quality verified by nine independent criteria including HPLC and FTIR.)

Storage/Handling: Store desiccated at -20°C. Protect from light.

PubChem Chemical ID: 23710675

Quality control:

References

Bai, X., et al. (2010). Both cultured and freshly isolated adipose tissue-derived stem cells enhance cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal, 31(4), 489-501.

Fraga, H. (2008). Firefly luminescence: A historical perspective and recent developments. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 7(2), 146-158.

Helgason, C. D. and Miller, C. L. (2005). Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 290: Basic Cell Culture Protocols, Third Edition. Humana Press.

Oba, Y., Ojika, M., & Inouye, S. (2003). Firefly luciferase is a bifunctional enzyme: ATP dependent monooxygenase and a long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. FEBS letters, 540(1), 251-254.

Seliger, H. H., & McElroy, W. D. (1960). Spectral emission and quantum yield of firefly bioluminescence. Archives of biochemistry and biophysics, 88(1), 136-141.

Steghens, J. P., Min, K. L., & Bernengo, J. C. (1998). Firefly luciferase has two nucleotide binding sites: effect of nucleoside monophosphate and CoA on the light-emission spectra. Biochemical Journal, 336(Pt 1), 109.