[Inhibition of bacterial luminescence by cytochrome P-450 substrates]

The mechanisms of luminescence quenching by various drugs, e.g. dimethylaniline, ethylmorphine, hexobarbital and aminopyrine, which are effective inhibitors of luminescence both in intact cells and in bacterial luciferase, were studied. It was shown that the inhibition of luminescence occurs due to competition of the bacterial luminescence system substrate--aliphatic aldehyde in cytochrome P-450. The functional similarity of the bacterial luminescence system to the microsomal hydroxylation system is postulated.