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J E Becvar

Publications and source records attributed to J E Becvar.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

A new reducing agent of flavins and its application to the assay of bacterial luciferase.

Copper(I) plus ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Cu(I)-EDTA, reduces flavins. Using Cu(I)-EDTA reduction of riboflavin 5'-phosphate, a new assay method for bacterial luciferase is established. In previous assay methods, flavin and aldehyde substrates for luciferase have been routinely added to luciferase at different times; the new assay permits aldehyde and Cu(I)-reduced flavin to be injected simultaneously into air-saturated buffer containing luciferase. In the new assay method using Cu(I), bovine serum albumin is not required, the initial emission intensity is more than twice and the overall yield is about twice of that in the so-called standard assay for luciferase.

Edetic Acid↗
PubMed1978

Activity and stability of the luciferase--flavin intermediate.

A luciferase intermediate in the bacterial bioluminescence system, which is formed by reaction of enzyme with reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMNH2) and oxygen, is shown to emit light with added aldehyde under anaerobic conditions. The reaction with oxygen is thus effectively irreversible under the conditions used. The flavin chromophore has an absorption maximum at about 370 nm and the potential activity (bioluminescence yield) in the further reaction of the isolated intermediate with aldehyde is strictly proportional to the amount of this flavin chromophore.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1977

Bacterial luciferase subunits are synthesized in equal quantities.

Synthesis of luciferase, an alpha beta dimer, occurs during a relatively short period of time near the end of exponential growth of Beneckea harveyi. The rates of synthesis of the individual alpha and beta chains of luciferase are compared by quantitating the molar ratio of total cellular alpha to that of beta at different growth stages. The addition of exogenous alpha or beta subunit to crude lysates of cells taken prior to and during the luciferase induction produces no increase in luciferase activity. This result, together with previous evidence that there are no antigenically cross-reacting precursors, allows us to conclude that luciferase alpha and beta chains are synthesized pari passu, i.e. in equal proportions, and exist primarily in the alpha beta dimeric form. It is also shown that insoluble sedimentable cellular materials contain no detectable luciferase subunits.

Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria↗
PubMed1975

Bacterial luciferase. Binding of oxidized flavin mononucleotide.

Bacterial luciferase catalyzes a bioluminescent oxidation of reduced flavin mononucleotide; the products include a photon and oxidized FMN. The experiments reported here show that luciferase binds oxidized flavin mononucleotide in a 1:1 molar ratio with an apparent dissociation constant of 1.2 times 10-4 M at 3 degrees in 0.05 M 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2'2"-nitriloethanol (bis-tris), pH 7.0. Analysis of the binding at temperatures between 3 and 30 degrees indicates an enthalpy of binding (delta H a) of minus 10.0 kcal per mol. The absorption spectrum of luciferase-bound FMN shows considerable alteration relative to that of free flavin. There is one major peak at 366 nm, and the 445-nm band is resolved into two distinct peaks at 434 and 458 nm; this spectrum is indicative of binding in a nonpolar environment. The circular dichroism spectrum of FMN bound to luciferase has structure which correlates well with the optical absorption spectrum of the bound flavin. The detail in the spectra of the bound FMN probably reflects the resolution of vibrational structure which is blurred in polar environments. The optical activity shown by the CD spectrum presumably results from binding in an electronically asymmetric fashion. Although FMN free in solution is highly fluorescent, FMN bound to luciferase is nonfluorescent, thus indicating that the emitting species is not an excited state of product FMN located in the same site in which luciferase binds oxidized FMN.

Calorimetry↗
PubMed1975

Bacterial luciferase requires one reduced flavin for light emission.

Recent reports revive a hypothesis that the bacterial bioluminescence reaction involves two reduced flavin mononucleotide molecules per enzyme turnover. A two-flavin mechanism requires that the two flavins bind simultaneously or sequentially to the same or different sites on luciferase during a catalytic cycle. Measurements using equilibrium techniques show that the luciferase dimer has only a single reduced flavin binding site. Quantum yield results demonstrate that bioluminescence requires only one reduced flavin per luciferase, ruling out mechanisms involving either two reduced flavins or one reduced flavin plus one oxidized flavin per catalytic cycle.

Flavin Mononucleotide↗