Palette of Luciferases: Natural Biotools for New Applications in Biomedicine

Optoanalytical methods based on using genetically encoded bioluminescent enzymes, luciferases, allow one to obtain highly sensitive signals, are non-invasive, and require no external irradiation. Bioluminescence is based on the chemical reaction of oxidation of a low-molecular-weight substrate (luciferin) by atmospheric oxygen, which is catalyzed by an enzyme (luciferase). Relaxation of the luciferin oxidation product from its excited state is accompanied by a release of a quantum of light, which can be detected as an analytical signal. The ability to express luciferase genes in various heterological systems and high quantum yields of luminescence reactions have made these tools rather popular in biology and medicine. Among several naturally available luciferases, a few have been found to be useful for practical application. Luciferase size, the wavelength of its luminescence maximum, enzyme thermostability, optimal pH of the reaction, and the need for cofactors are parameters that may differ for luciferases from different groups of organisms, and this fact directly affects the choice of the application area for each enzyme. It is quite important to overview the whole range of currently available luciferases based on their biochemical properties before choosing one bioluminescent probe suitable for a specific application.