Description
Luciferins are light-emitting heterocyclic compounds commonly used in biochemistry. Luciferin is the natural ligand for the enzyme luciferase, which oxidizes the substrate, emitting energy in the form of light in the process. Firefly luciferase requires ATP for its reaction, emitting a greenish-yellow luminescence at a peak wavelength of approximately 530 nm. The potassium and sodium salts of luciferin dissolve much more readily in water or typical buffers and may be more convenient than the free acid form for in vivo imaging.