Potentialities of bioluminescence analyses in research on the pancreatic islets.

Progress in bioluminescence assay permits not only determinations of nucleotide and substrate concentrations, but also estimation of concentration shifts. The analyses can be extended to comprise Ca2+ since the Aequorea system is sensitive enough for applications in islet research. By connecting the bioluminometer to a microprocessor with a suitable readout device, it is possible to collect and evaluate large amounts of data which may be required in studies of concentration shifts. Thus, blanks, samples and standards can be processed completely within short time periods so that the light-yielding solutions remain stable.