title: Modified nicotine metabolism in transgenic tobacco plants expressing the human cytochrome P450 2A6 cDNA.
abstract: In this study, the human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2A6 was used in order to modify the alkaloid production of tobacco plants. The cDNA for human CYP2A6 was placed under the control of the constitutive 35S promoter and transferred into Nicotiana tabacum via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants showed formation of the recombinant CYP2A6 enzyme but no obvious phenotypic changes. Unlike wild-type tobacco, the transgenic plants accumulated cotinine, a metabolite which is usually formed from nicotine in humans. This result substantiates that metabolic engineering of the plant secondary metabolism via mammalian P450 enzymes is possible in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften, Julius-Maximilians Universität, Würzburg, Germany. dueckershoff@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dueckershoff
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Elizabeth M J
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gillam
authors.forename: F Peter
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Guengerich
authors.forename: Heribert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Warzecha
mesh_terms: D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003367:Cotinine / Q000378:metabolism; D065637:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2A6; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009538:Nicotine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009538:Nicotine; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D001189:Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; C585710:CYP2A6 protein, human; D065637:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2A6; D003367:Cotinine