CAS: 20115-09-7

Dehydroluciferin is a synthetic analogue of luciferin, which is naturally found in fireflies. It has a high resistance to degradation by the target enzymes and is used as a substrate in chemiluminescent assays. Dehydroluciferin reacts with luciferase to produce light that can be measured using a photomultiplier tube. The light emission is proportional to the amount of enzyme activity present in the sample and may be used to determine the presence of specific enzymes in test samples. This compound also reacts with disulfide bonds, which are found in proteins, such as cytochrome P450, that are involved in metabolism.

Dehydroluciferin is a bioluminescence probe that is a potent inhibitor of the firefly luciferase reaction. It is a byproduct of the oxidation of luciferin, the substrate for firefly luciferase, which catalyzes the bioluminescence reaction. It can also form during the synthesis or storage of luciferin. Its presence can potentially lead to issues in bioluminescent assays.