Biochemical Analysis Leads to Improved Orthogonal Bioluminescent Tools.

Engineered luciferase-luciferin pairs have expanded the number of cellular targets that can be visualized in tandem. While light production relies on selective processing of synthetic luciferins by mutant luciferases, little is known about the origin of selectivity. The development of new and improved pairs requires a better understanding of the structure-function relationship of bioluminescent probes.