title: Isolation and sequence analysis of cytochrome P450 12B1: the first mitochondrial insect P450 with homology to 1 alpha,25 dihydroxy-D3 24-hydroxylase.
abstract: The biosynthesis of steroid hormones is an integral component of insect growth, development and reproduction. Although there is an abundance of biochemical data implicating both microsomal and mitochondrial cytochrome P450s in steroid metabolism, molecular genetic information on mitochondrial P450s is almost entirely limited to vertebrate sequences. In the current study, a degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer was targeted to the highly conserved region of P450 genes that encodes the heme-binding decapeptide. Using a 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approach, seven novel cytochrome P450 genes were isolated from Drosophila acanthoptera, including one sequence (CYP12B1) with high regional homology to vertebrate mitochondrial P450s. Sequence analysis of the conceptual translation of the full length gene, obtained by 5'RACE, revealed an amphipathic NH2-terminus rich in basic and hydrophilic amino acids, a characteristic feature of mitochondrial P450s that distinguishes them from their distantly related microsomal relatives. Phylogenetically, CYP12B1 appears to be most closely related to the mammalian mitochondrial P450s of the CYP24 family that play a critical role in calcium homeostasis through the metabolism of vitamin D3. The potential biological role of CYP12B1 is discussed in the light of what is currently known about arthropod calcium binding proteins and their regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, CO 80208, USA. pdaniels@du.edu
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fogleman
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics*; D000072477:Cytochrome P450 Family 12; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004330:Drosophila / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics*; D065668:Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C108457:CYP12B1 protein, Drosophila acanthoptera; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D000072477:Cytochrome P450 Family 12; D065668:Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase