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Received September 26, 1997
Bioluminescence of free and poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel-entrapped recombinant E. coli cells expressing firefly luciferase was investigated. It was shown that bioluminescence intensity and time-course of the bioluminescent signal changed upon immobilization and depended on intracellular ATP concentration and permeability of the cell membrane.
KEY WORDS: bioluminescence in vivo, firefly luciferase, recombinant E. coli cells, immobilization, poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel, polymyxin, pH-shift