A transgenic
tobacco plant expresses
the gene for the enzyme luciferase, which comes
from fireflies (Coleoptra: Lampyridae). In
the
presence of a specific substrate, luciferase produces a
fluorescence reaction
that causes the insects to glow
in the dark.
Luciferase acts as a reporter
gene: a transgenic
plasmid
is constructed that includes the
luciferase locus
adjacent
to another structural gene of interest. If
the transgene has been successfully integrated, the luciferase
locus
"reports" the fact by
fluorescing
when provided with the appropriate substrate.
