The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
n-Butyl D-luciferin ester produced the strongest compartment-specific cytosolic luciferase signal across Mycobacterium smegmatis, infected macrophages, and Mycobacterium avium, while tert-butyl was inert in M. avium.
- Why it matters: Ester prodrugs must both permeate the bacterial envelope and be hydrolyzed in the cytosol, but these steps are seldom measured together in live cells, and existing reporters can’t localize unmasking.
- What they did: A bioluminescent luciferase reporter using carboxylate esters of D-luciferin was tested in live mycobacteria, with alkyl ester series varied to separate permeation from intracellular processing.
- The result: Chain length governed permeation while branching near the carbonyl governed esterase processing, and unmasking was attenuated at phagosomal pH, implying masking groups must be chosen for the specific organism and compartment.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.