Bioluminescence of the Ca(2+)-binding photoprotein, aequorin, after histidine modification

Modification studies of the 5 histidine residues in aequorin employing site-directed mutagenesis and diethyl pyrocarbonate suggested that His169 may be the site of binding of molecular oxygen in aequorin. The modification of this residue led to complete loss of activity, whereas modification of the remaining 4 histidine residues yielded mutant aequorins with varying bioluminescence activities.