Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1987 May;84(10):3264-8.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.10.3264.

Firefly luciferase is targeted to peroxisomes in mammalian cells

Firefly luciferase is targeted to peroxisomes in mammalian cells

G A Keller et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 May.

Abstract

Although several enzymes known to reside in peroxisomes have been studied extensively, no cis-acting amino acid sequences involved in the transport of these proteins to peroxisomes have been described. As a first step towards the determination of a putative peroxisomal targeting sequence, we have expressed the cDNA encoding the firefly luciferase [Photinus-luciferin:oxygen 4-oxidoreductase (decarboxylating, ATP-hydrolyzing), EC 1.13.12.7] in monkey kidney cells and found that the product of the gene is transported to peroxisomes. Luciferase is derived from the firefly (Photinus pyralis) and is synthesized and stored in the cells of the firefly's lantern organ, where it is also found in peroxisomes. The fact that this protein is similarly targeted in cells from such different organisms suggests that the process of protein transport to peroxisomes has been highly conserved through evolution.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Jan;83(2):313-7 - PubMed
    1. J Biol Chem. 1982 Aug 10;257(15):8824-34 - PubMed
    1. J Virol. 1979 Aug;31(2):360-9 - PubMed
    1. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1956 Apr;20(1):170-6 - PubMed
    1. J Cell Biol. 1973 Nov;59(2 Pt 1):507-24 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources