The isolation of a bacterial glycoprotein with luciferase activity

Luciferase from the luminescent bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi, strain S-1, has been isolated and purified from lysed cells and shown to be a glycoprotein. A soluble, non-carbohydrate containing luciferase was also isolated from the lysate. This latter luciferase amounts to less than 20% of the total luciferase activity. The purified glycoprotein is (1) susceptible to inactivation by lysozyme, (2) gives positive color reactions to the phenol, resorcinol, and anthrone tests for sugars, and (3) gives overlapping bands when stained for carbohydrate and protein on gel electrophoresis. Neither the soluble luciferase from S-1 nor a soluble luciferase isolated from Beneckea harveyi, mutant MB-20, give positive results to any of these carbohydrate tests.