d-luciferin

D-luciferin is a naturally occurring heterocyclic compound that serves as the primary substrate for the enzyme firefly luciferase, derived from the firefly *Photinus pyralis*. In a process requiring ATP, magnesium, and oxygen, luciferase catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of D-luciferin to oxyluciferin, a reaction that results in the emission of yellow-green light. This bioluminescent property is extensively utilized in biomedical research for non-invasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to monitor biological processes in vivo, such as gene expression, tumor progression, and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in animal models. While D-luciferin is the standard substrate for BLI, its utility in central nervous system studies is sometimes limited by its relatively poor penetration of the blood-brain barrier, leading to the development of synthetic analogs with improved pharmacological profiles.

Other names

(S)-2-(6-hydroxy-2-benzothiazolyl)-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acidfirefly luciferin4,5-dihydro-2-(6-hydroxy-2-benzothiazolyl)-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid