Firefly luminescence reveals pesticides
Luciferin synthesis and organophosphate detection by a luminescent
enzymatic cascade

Date:
March 11, 2022
Source:
Wiley
Summary:
A luminescence reaction modeled on fireflies can detect
contamination with organophosphates with high sensitivity, ease,
and low cost. At the center of this technology is a new enzymatic
method for the synthesis of analogues of luciferin, the substance
that makes fireflies glow. As reported by a team of researchers,
it could also be used in the field.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A luminescence reaction modeled on fireflies can detect contamination
with organophosphates with high sensitivity, ease, and low cost. At the
center of this technology is a new enzymatic method for the synthesis
of analogues of luciferin, the substance that makes fireflies glow. As
reported by a team of researchers in the journal Angewandte Chemie,
it could also be used in the field.


==========================================================================
The widespread use of toxic organophosphate pesticides (OPs) is a very
serious global environmental and health problem. Among the concerns are
acute, often fatal poisoning cases in agriculture -- particularly in
developing nations - - and also toxic pesticide residues that accumulate
in food chains and freshwater reservoirs where they may instigate
cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, for example. In the EU and USA,
OPs are strictly regulated.

Conventional detection by chromatography/mass spectrometry is complex, expensive, and not suitable for use in poor countries or in remote
areas. Test kits are usually not sensitive and are unreliable. A team
from Thailand and Japan has now developed an inexpensive, simple test
that detects OPs directly in foods and biological samples with high
specificity and extreme sensitivity without sample preparation.

The researchers led by Pimchai Chaiyen started with a new enzymatic
cascade reaction for the synthesis of luciferin analogues from phenolic compounds, which they called the HELP reaction. Luciferin is the substrate
of the enzyme luciferase and causes fireflies to glow. Bioluminescence catalyzed by luciferase is an important method used in biochemical
research and the analysis of toxicants. HELP makes it possible to
produce luciferin analogues much more easily than before, without special expertise or toxic chemicals. Luciferin analogues produce luminescence in different wavelengths and allow for the parallel detection of different
target molecules. Among others, the team produced two previously unknown luciferin analogues. One of these produces brighter light of a longer wavelength than the original, which penetrates cells and tissues more efficiently. This facilitates real-time imaging and helps to reduce the
need for animal experiments.

The new method for detecting organophosphates is also based on
HELP. "LUMOS" (Luminescence Measurement of Organophosphate and
Derivatives) includes three reaction steps. First, an enzyme from
soil bacteria breaks down the OPs and/or their metabolites into
phenol derivatives. In the second step, these are converted into
a luciferin analogue via the HELP reaction. In the third step, the
luciferin derivative is used to produce a bioluminescence signal with
firefly luciferase. The wavelength can be used to differentiate between different OPs. The team was able to detect five particularly toxic OPs,
such as parathion (E605), in concentrations of parts per trillion (ppt)
in urine, blood serum, and fruit, and without sample preparation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Pratchaya Watthaisong, Philaiwarong Kamutira, Chatchai Kesornpun,
Vinutsada Pongsupasa, Jittima Phonbuppha, Ruchanok Tinikul, Somchart
Maenpuen, Thanyaporn Wongnate, Ryo Nishihara, Yoshihiro Ohmiya,
Pimchai Chaiyen. Luciferin Synthesis and Pesticide Detection by
Luminescence Enzymatic Cascades. Angewandte Chemie International
Edition, 2022; DOI: 10.1002/anie.202116908 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220311095309.htm

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