Bioluminescence is found across the entire tree of life, conferring a spectacular set of
visually oriented functions from attracting mates to scaring off predators. Half a dozen
different luciferins, molecules that emit light when enzymatically oxidized, are known.
However, just one biochemical pathway for luciferin biosynthesis has been described in full,
which is found only in bacteria. Here, we report identification of the fungal luciferase and
three other key enzymes that together form the biosynthetic cycle of the fungal luciferin from …

Bioluminescence is found across the entire tree of life, conferring a spectacular set of
visually oriented functions from attracting mates to scaring off predators. Half a dozen
different luciferins, molecules that emit light when enzymatically oxidized, are known.
However, just one biochemical pathway for luciferin biosynthesis has been described in full,
which is found only in bacteria. Here, we report identification of the fungal luciferase and
three other key enzymes that together form the biosynthetic cycle of the fungal luciferin from …