SOLVED: The enzyme called luciferase catalyzes the reaction that allows fireflies to emit light The first step in this reaction involves the substrate compound called luciferin , reacting with ATP. The luciferase enzyme has been crystallized bound to the product of this one-step reaction, as shown in the Pymol diagram below. (Dotted lines indicate stabilizing interactions between active site residues and the product:)HO_COzGln338luciferinNote:Lys529Blue nitrogen Red oxygen Orange sulfur or phos

Glowing and metabolism: two sided of the same enzyme. Firefly luciferase does two jobs, it uses ATP and oxygen to produce light, which is an oxidizing luciferin, but it can also act as a fatty Acyl-CoA synthesis. This links light making enzymes and metabolism together! #scicomm #sciencefacts #science #sciants #sciencenews #STEMEducation #STEMLearning #sciencecommunication #scicomm #scienceexperiments | SciAnts