To reveal the light-color modulation mechanism of firefly (beetle) bioluminescence, we investigated the spectroscopic properties of the phenolate anion 1-O(-) generated from 5,5-dimethyloxyluciferin (1-OH) using various base/solvent combinations. Phenolate anion 1-O(-) is a model compound for the keto form of wild-type oxyluciferin phenolate anion (OL(-)), which is postulated to be the emitter of the bioluminescence. The fluorescence maxima of 1-O(-) were found to depend on the base/solvent combination used, and they varied in the range 541-640 nm, which covers the almost whole range of the bioluminescence emission maximum. In a polar solvent, where (1)(1-O(-))* and the countercation (the conjugate acid of a base) make a solvent-separated ion pair or a free ion couple, the emission maxima of 1-O(-) were found to be modulated by the solvent polarity. In a less polar solvent, where (1)(1-O(-))* and the countercation are formed as a contact ion pair, the strength of the covalent character of the O8'...H bond between (1)(1-O(-))* and the countercation is operative. The effect of the base/solvent combination on the emission properties of (1)(1-O(-))* was also verified using fluorescence lifetime measurements and density functional theory calculations on 1-O(-) and its ion-pair models. On the basis of these results, we propose the following light-color modulation mechanism: (1) the light emitter is the excited singlet state of OL(-) [(1)(OL(-))*], and (2) light emission from (1)(OL(-))* is modulated by the polarity of the active-site environment of a luciferase and the degree of covalent character of the O8'...H bond between (1)(OL(-))* and a protonated basic moiety in the active site. Mechanisms for variation of the bioluminescence colors and their applications are discussed.

Spectroscopic properties of amino-analogs of luciferin and oxyluciferin were investigated to confirm the color modulation mechanism of firefly (beetle) bioluminescence. Fluorescence solvatochromic character of aminooxyluciferin analogs indicates that the bioluminescence of aminoluciferin is useful for evaluating the polarity of a luciferase active site.