title: A cytochrome p450 conserved in insects is involved in cuticle formation.
abstract: The sequencing of numerous insect genomes has revealed dynamic changes in the number and identity of cytochrome P450 genes in different insects. In the evolutionary sense, the rapid birth and death of many P450 genes is observed, with only a small number of P450 genes showing orthology between insects with sequenced genomes. It is likely that these conserved P450s function in conserved pathways. In this study, we demonstrate the P450 gene, Cyp301a1, present in all insect genomes sequenced to date, affects the formation of the adult cuticle in Drosophila melanogaster. A Cyp301a1 piggyBac insertion mutant and RNAi of Cyp301a1 both show a similar cuticle malformation phenotype, which can be reduced by 20-hydroxyecdysone, suggesting that Cyp301a1 is an important gene involved in the formation of the adult cuticle and may be involved in ecdysone regulation in this tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. tamar.sztal@monash.edu
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sztal
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Batterham
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Daborn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D004441:Ecdysterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004817:Epidermis / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D049750:Genome, Insect / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010641:Phenotype; D034622:RNA Interference; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004441:Ecdysterone; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C416219:DIB protein, Drosophila