Advances in the knowledge of light emission by firefly luciferin and oxyluciferin

Firefly luciferase is the most important and studied bioluminescence system. Due to very interesting characteristics, this system has gained numerous biomedical, pharmaceutical and bioanalytical applications, among others. In order to improve the use of this system, various researchers have tried to understand experimentally the colour of bioluminescence, and to create ways of tuning the colour emitted. The objective of this manuscript is to review the experimental studies of firefly luciferin and oxyluciferin, and related analogues, fluorescence and bioluminescence.

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► Firefly luciferase is the most studied bioluminescence system.
► Numerous applications have been devised for this system.
► The control of the colour tuning mechanism would be beneficial.
► The knowledge of light emission by firefly luciferin and oxyluciferin is reviewed.