A synthetic luciferin improves bioluminescence imaging in live mice

Melanie S Evans; Joanna P Chaurette; Spencer T Adams Jr; Gadarla R Reddy; Miranda A Paley; Neil Aronin; Jennifer A Prescher; Stephen C Miller

doi:10.1038/nmeth.2839

A synthetic luciferin improves bioluminescence imaging in live mice

Nat Methods. 2014 Apr;11(4):393-5. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.2839. Epub 2014 Feb 9.

Authors

Melanie S Evans¹, Joanna P Chaurette², Spencer T Adams Jr³, Gadarla R Reddy³, Miranda A Paley⁴, Neil Aronin⁵, Jennifer A Prescher⁶, Stephen C Miller³

Affiliations

¹ 1] Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA. [2].
² 1] Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. [2] RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. [3].
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
⁵ 1] Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. [2] RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
⁶ 1] Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA. [2] Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

Abstract

Firefly luciferase is the most widely used optical reporter for noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI) in rodents. BLI relies on the ability of the injected luciferase substrate D-luciferin to access luciferase-expressing cells and tissues within the animal. Here we show that injection of mice with a synthetic luciferin, CycLuc1, improves BLI with existing luciferase reporters and enables imaging in the brain that could not be achieved with D-luciferin.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Benzothiazoles / chemical synthesis*
Biological Transport
Luciferases / metabolism
Luminescent Measurements / methods*
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Molecular Structure
Neuroimaging / methods*

Substances

Benzothiazoles
D-luciferin
Luciferases

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding