The reporter learned from Huazhong Agricultural University that Professor Fu Xinhua's team from the School of Plant Science and Technology of Huazhong Agricultural University has uncovered the key mechanism of the development of luminescent organs in adult fireflies, providing new ideas for the research of luminescent insects and flash control. The relevant paper was recently published in the international academic journal Nature Communications. Fu Xinhua introduced that firefly luminescence is a biochemical reaction emitted by the unique luminescent device on its abdomen. The luminescent organs of fireflies can be divided into larval and adult forms. Among them, firefly larvae have a pair of spherical or hemispherical glowing organs located in the second to last abdominal segment, which can emit irregular flashes in the dark to alert natural enemies. The luminescent organs of adult fireflies, on the other hand, develop independently during the pupal stage. In just 5 to 7 days of pupal stage, the luminescent organs of adults grow from scratch, rapidly mature and possess luminescent functions. What is the mechanism behind the development of luminescent organs in adult fireflies? This scientific issue has been troubling researchers. In response, Fu Xinhua's team used techniques such as comparative genomics, comparative transcriptomics, and gene interference to study the luminescent organs in the early, middle, and late stages of the larvae of the aquatic firefly, the Leslie firefly. The study discovered two key transcription factors, AlAbd-B and AlUnc-4, which interact to initiate and regulate the expression of luciferase protein. Silencing any of these transcription factors will cause fireflies to be unable to emit light. Research has found that there are two key factors involved in the development of luminescent organs in adult fireflies. One is the high expression of luciferase protein in the cytoplasm, and the other is the need to regulate the transmembrane transport protein of peroxisomes to transport luciferase protein from the cytoplasm into the peroxisomes. Only in the peroxisomes can the biochemical reaction of firefly luminescence proceed normally. Research has confirmed that AlAbd-B and AlUnc-4 are the two transcription factors that regulate the transmembrane transport proteins of peroxisomes for the transport of luciferase proteins. Fu Xinhua said that the shape and flash frequency of the glow emitters of adult fireflies are the basis of the biodiversity of fireflies. Understanding the developmental mechanism of the luminescent organs in adult fireflies can help people understand the mechanisms underlying the formation of firefly biodiversity and contribute to the conservation of firefly biodiversity. (Lai Xin She)