Immobilization of bacterial luciferase into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) film for electrochemical control of a bioluminescence reaction.

A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) film was modified on an indium-tin oxide electrode in order to immobilize bacterial luciferase (BL) on the electrode surface. By using the modified electrode, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) was electrochemically reduced to FMNH(2), which is one of the substrates of the BL luminescence reaction, to control the bioluminescence reaction by BL. The BL reaction in the modified film could be promoted and controlled by the electrochemical generation of FMNH(2). This BL luminescence system was evaluated as a model system for the inhibitory assay of hydrophobic molecules on protein functions.