Abstract: For our study of the mechanism of firefly bioluminescence, the compounds 2-(6'- amino-2 '-benzothia-zoly1)-A2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (IVa,“aminoluciferin”), 2-(6'- acetylamin~-2'-benzothiazolyl)-Az-thiaz~ line-4-carboxylic acid (IVb), and 2-(6'- trifluoroacetylamino-2'-benzoth~ azolyl)-A2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (IVc) have been synthesized and characterized. Of these compounds, only aminoluciferin reacts with firefly ...
