BIOSYNTHESIS OF ALIPHATIC-ALDEHYDES FOR THE BACTERIAL BIOLUMINESCENT REACTION STIMULATION BY ATP AND NADPH

Although the activity of bacterial luciferase is dependent on the presence of a long chain aliphatic aldehyde and FMNH2 and O2, the mechanism of biosynthesis of aliphatic aldehydes in bioluminescent bacteria is not yet known. The stimulation of luminescence by ATP and NADPH on injection of FMNH2 into extracts of Photobacterium phosphoreum containing no added aldehyde is reported. Over a 300-fold stimualtion luminescence was observed after incubation of the extract for 10 min with NADPH and ATP, increasing to 500-fold if myristic acid was also present. These results provide evidence in vitro for the existence of an enzyme dependent on ATP and NADPH and capable of synthesizing the aliphatic aldehydes necessary for bacterial luminescence.