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At least 757 records · Page 42Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Insecticidal activity of the pyrimidine nucleoside analogue (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU).

The insecticidal activity of the antiherpetic agent (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU) was assessed in in vivo assays against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). BVDU, mixed into an artificial diet, caused a variety of effects, depending on the concentration used. Compared with controls, food intake was lower, larval growth was retarded and larval development was prolonged. The treated larvae formed smaller pupae and the hatching moths often showed morphogenetic defects. A higher mortality could be found in larval and pupal stages and was generally caused by moult disruption. A choice assay showed that BVDU has very slight feeding-deterrent properties, which only partly explain the toxic effects. The agent most probably acts through its cytostatic activity that has been described previously using cell lines of different insect species.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Insecticidal and fungicidal activity of new synthesized chitosan derivatives.

Chitosan, the N-deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a potential biopolysaccharide owing to its specific structure and properties. In this paper, we report on the synthesis of 24 new chitosan derivatives, N-alkyl chitosans (NAC) and N-benzyl chitosans (NBC), that are soluble in dilute aqueous acetic acid. The different derivatives were synthesized by reductive amination and analyzed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. A high degree of substitution (DS) was obtained with N-(butyl)chitosan (DS 0.36) at a 1:1 mole ratio for NAC derivatives and N-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)chitosan (DS 0.52) for NBC derivatives. Their insecticidal and fungicidal activities were tested against larvae of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the grey mould Botrytis cinerea Pers (Leotiales: Sclerotiniaceae) and the rice leaf blast Pyricularia grisea Cavara (Teleomorph: Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr). The oral feeding bioassay indicated that all the derivatives had significant insecticidal activity at 5 g kg(-1) in artificial diet. The most active was N-(2-chloro-6-fluorobenzyl)chitosan, which caused 100% mortality at 0.625 g kg(-1), with an estimated LC50 of 0.32 g kg(-1). Treated larvae ceased feeding after 2-3 days; the mechanism of action remains unknown. In a radial hyphal growth bioassay with both plant pathogens, all derivatives showed a higher fungicidal action than chitosan. N-Dodecylchitosan, N-(p-isopropylbenzyl)chitosan and N-(2,6-dichlorobenzyl)chitosan were the most active against B cinerea, with EC50 values of 0.57, 0.57 and 0.52 g litre(-1), respectively. Against P grisea, N-(m-nitrobenzyl)chitosan was the most active, with 77% inhibition at 5 g litre(-1). The effect of different substitutions is discussed in relation to insecticidal and fungicidal activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Mode of action of etoxazole.

The mode of action of the 2,4-diphenyl-1,3-oxazoline acaricide/insecticide etoxazole has been argued to be moulting inhibition, but experimental results supporting this hypothesis are lacking. This study investigated the effect of etoxazole on chitin biosynthesis in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Etoxazole induced moulting defects in fall armyworm larvae similar, if not identical, to those caused by benzoylphenylureas, a well-known class of insecticidal chitin biosynthesis inhibitors. Furthermore, in contrast to untreated larvae, the chitin content in the integuments of larvae several days after treatment did not differ from that in freshly ecdysed individuals, thus suggesting strong chitin biosynthesis inhibition in vivo. A more detailed investigation of the inhibitory potential by incubating cultured integument pieces from larvae of S. frugiperda with [14C]N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, a radiolabelled chitin precursor, revealed I50 values of 2.95 and 0.071 microM for etoxazole and triflumuron respectively. The incorporation of radiolabel into potassium hydroxide-resistant material was inhibited by etoxazole in a dose-dependent manner. Based on these results, it is concluded that the acaricidal and insecticidal mode of action of etoxazole is chitin biosynthesis inhibition.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed2006

Enhancement of fungicidal and insecticidal activity by reductive alkylation of chitosan.

A series of N-alkyl chitosan (NAC) derivatives were synthesized using a reductive alkylation reaction to examine their fungicidal and insecticidal activity. The chemical structures were characterized by IR and (1)H NMR spectroscopy, and the degree of substitution (DS) ranged from 0.02 to 0.37. Their fungicidal activity was evaluated against the grey mould Botrytis cinerea Pers ex Fr (Leotiales: Sclerotiniaceae) and the rice leaf blast pathogen Pyricularia grisea Sacc [Teleomorph: Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr] by a radial growth bioassay. It was of interest that most of the NAC derivatives were more active against both fungi than chitosan itself. The most active derivative was N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)chitosan with EC50 values of 0.031 and 0.23 g L(-1) against B. cinerea and P. grisea respectively. In addition, some derivatives, at higher concentrations up to 1.0 g L(-1), inhibited the mycelial growth and spore formation of P. grisea. Bioassays against larvae of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with the NAC derivatives at a rate of 5.0 g kg(-1) in artificial diet demonstrated that N-(3-phenylbutyl)chitosan was the most active compound. In addition, N-propylchitosan, N-undecanylchitosan and N-(3-phenylpropyl)chitosan derivatives strongly inhibited larval weight gain in S. littoralis, with respective reductions of 76, 66 and 65% after 4 days of feeding on treated diet.

Alkylation↗
PubMed2006

Insecticidal, antifeedant and oviposition deterrent effects of the essential oil and individual compounds from leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC.

Essential oil from the leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC. was obtained by hydrodistillation and cold extraction, and the chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major identified components were limonene, geijerene, pregeijerene, germacrene D and trans-beta-ocimene. Laboratory bioassays of the essential oil and four constituents of essential oil isolates were evaluated for insecticidal, antifeedant and oviposition deterrent effects on tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.). Toxicity was determined by topical application of the isolates at varying concentrations. Pure oil, geijerene and pregeijerene were found to be more toxic, with LD50 values of 28.6, 35.4 and 40.7 microg per larva respectively. Maximum feeding deterrence was noted for geijerene and pregeijerene, with DC(50) values of 82.5 and 95.1 microg cm(-2) respectively. Furthermore, pure oil, geijerene and pregeijerene displayed oviposition deterrence, even at low concentrations. These results indicate that these natural products may lead to useful, biodegradable, environmentally safe insect control agents.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Emamectin, a novel insecticide for controlling field crop pests.

Emamectin is a macrocyclic lactone insecticide with low toxicity to non-target organisms and the environment, and is considered an important component in pest-management programmes for controlling field crop pests. It is a powerful compound for controlling the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). A spray concentration of 25 mg AI litre-1 in a cotton field resulted in over 90% suppression of H armigera larvae up to day 28 after treatment, while similar mortality of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis Boisduval, under the same conditions, was maintained for 3 days only. Emamectin is a potent compound for controlling the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) under both laboratory and field conditions and its activity on adults was over 10-fold greater than that of abamectin. Spray concentrations of 10 and 50 mg AI litre-1 in Ageratum houstonianum Mill flowers resulted in total suppression of adults up to day 11 and of larvae up to day 20 after treatment. Under standard laboratory conditions, emamectin exhibits a considerable activity on the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and the leafminer Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard). Further studies are required to evaluate its potential activity on the latter pests under field conditions.

Ageratum↗
PubMed2003

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of benzoheterocyclic analogues of N'-benzoyl-N-(tert-butyl)benzohydrazide: Part 1. Design of benzoheterocyclic analogues.

The N'-benzoyl group of N-tert-butyl-N'-benzoyl-3,5-dimethylbenzohydrazide (1) was converted to a series of benzoheterocyclecarbonyl groups in order to investigate the potential usefulness of superimposing a hydrazine insecticide on 20-hydroxyecdysone. A series of analogues with benzodioxole, benzodioxane, benzodioxapine, indole, benzoxazole, benzoxazine or benzothiazole instead of the phenyl group of (1) were synthesized and tested for their insecticidal activity against the common cutworm (Spodoptera litura F). N-tert-Butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-1,3-benzodioxole-5-carbohydrazide and N-tert-butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxine-6-carbohydrazide showed high insecticidal activities, superior to that of (1) and equal to that of the commercial insecticide tebufenozide (RH-5992).

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of benzoheterocyclic analogues of N'-benzoyl-N-(tert-butyl)benzohydrazide: Part 3. Modification of N-tert-butylhydrazine moiety.

Nineteen analogues were synthesized by modifying the tert-butylhydrazine moieties of N'-tert-butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-5-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxine-6-carbohydrazide and N'-tert-butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-5-methylchromane-6-carbohydrazide (chromafenozide), and the synthesized analogues were evaluated for their insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura F. While all of the synthesized analogues had insecticidal activity inferior to those of the lead compounds, several of the analogues nonetheless showed high insecticidal activity. Chromafenozide has shown very high selectivity toward lepidopteran species.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of 5-acyloxyimino-5-deoxyavermectin B1 derivatives.

Four novel 5-acyloxyimino-5-deoxyavermectin B1 compounds have been synthesized from avermectin B1 by selective oxidization of the hydroxy group at C-5, followed by oximation and convenient esterification. Their structures were confirmed by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and MS. Insecticidal activities of the intermediate oxime and the four new acyl derivatives were evaluated against Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera exigua and Musca domestica.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Expression and characterization of functional bovine cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptors in baculovirus-infected insect cells.

A recombinant baculovirus containing the cDNA for the full-length bovine cation-dependent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CD-MPR) was generated by homologous recombination. Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) and Trichoplusia ni 5B1-4 (High Five) insect cells, which do not contain endogenous MPRs as determined by Western blot analyses and pentamannosyl phosphate-agarose affinity chromatography, were infected with recombinant baculovirus. The infected cells expressed 26-, 29-, 32-, 35-, and 39-kDa species that were immunologically reactive with antisera raised against the native bovine CD-MPR and quantitative Western analysis demonstrated 1-2 x 10(6) CD-MPR molecules/cell, a level which is comparable to that expressed normally in a variety of cell lines and tissues. Digestion with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H indicated that these multiple species were due to the presence of either 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 N-linked oligosaccharide chains, respectively, and that the majority (87%) of these carbohydrates were of the high-mannose type. The receptor produced was biologically active since it bound specifically to a pentamannosyl phosphate-agarose column and exhibited acid-dependent ligand dissociation. In addition, studies using a homobifunctional cross-linking agent on the purified CD-MPR suggested that, like the receptor expressed in mammalian cells, the insect-produced CD-MPR existed as a dimer in the membrane.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1995

CYP3A4 expressed by insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus containing both CYP3A4 and human NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase is catalytically similar to human liver microsomal CYP3A4.

Human cytochrome CYP3A4 is the most abundant of all the P450s in human liver and is involved in the metabolism of many environmental toxicants and drugs. Kinetic studies with CYP3A4 have been hampered due to low activity of this enzyme obtained from recombinant gene expression systems or difficulty in reconstituting activity with the native enzyme purified from human liver. To overcome these obstacles, we have expressed high levels of catalytically active CYP3A4 and human NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR) together in two insect cell lines, Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) and Trichoplusia ni (T.ni), via a single recombinant baculovirus carrying both cDNAs (CYP3A4-OR). Microsomes containing recombinant CYP3A4-OR from these cell lines were up to 50-times more active in testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase activity than recombinant CYP3A4 expressed alone and supplemented with purified rabbit CYPOR. The spectral P450 content of CYP3A4-OR T.ni microsomes was 107 pmol/mg microsomal protein and the cytochrome c reductase activity was 3904 units/mg. Recombinant CYP3A4-OR was catalytically similar to human liver CYP3A4 based on similarities in the testosterone metabolite profile, time course of metabolite formation, Vmax and Km values (for CYP3A4-OR, Vmax was 8.8 nmol/min/mg microsomal protein [70 nmol/min/nmol CYP3A4] and Km was 33 microM), the extent of inhibition by 100 microM troleandomycin (> 75%) in the presence of 25 microM testosterone, and the degree of P450 activation in the presence of 20 microM 7,8-benzoflavone. The coexpression of recombinant cytochrome b5 with CYP3A4-OR did not result in an additional increase in CYP3A4-OR activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Functional high level expression of cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 using baculoviral expression systems.

Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6 plays a central role in the metabolism of many widely used therapeutic drugs including beta-adrenergic antagonists, antiarrhythmics, and tricyclic antidepressants. Recombinant baculoviruses have been constructed containing the full-length human CYP2D6 cDNA and used to express CYP2D6 in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. High levels of recombinant protein have been produced using either polyhedrin or basic protein promoters (0.05-0.20 nmol/mg cell protein; 0.05-0.15 nmol/liter). The enzyme is catalytically active toward CYP2D6 substrates such as bufuralol and metoprolol. In order to optimize catalytic activity human reductase was coexpressed with CYP2D6 in Sf9 cells; reductase activity was in the region of 1000-1500 units per mg cell protein, while spectrally active CY2D6 was in the range 10-20 pmol/mg cell protein. The K(m) and K(cat) values for bufuralol metabolism were estimated as 4.7 microM and 12.23 min-1, respectively. The use of the conventional very late promoters such as the polyhedrin promoter generate a large proportion of inactive CYP2D6. The problem was to a degree circumvented using the "late" basic promoter which is active earlier in the baculovirus infection cycle. The yield of functional CYP2D6 was at least as high as with very late promoters, but the proportion of inactive protein was reduced. Bufuralol hydroxylase activity could be measured directly by HPLC analysis of cell culture media supplemented with bufuralol, and we have developed a plate assay system which provides a simple method for the analysis of drug metabolism reactions using Sf9 cells. Expression using baculovirus provides a valuable source of functional CYP2D6 for work aimed at elucidating the structure and function of the enzyme.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1996

Expression and coupling of human cytochrome P450 2E1 and NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase in dual expression and co-infection systems with baculovirus in insect cells.

In order to study the interaction between human cytochrome P450 2E1 (h2E1) and NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase (hOR) in a native membrane environment, we used two approaches to express both h2E1 and hOR in a baculovirus expression system. For a dual-expression system, h2E1 and hOR were coexpressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus carrying both h2E1 and hOR cDNAs (v-h2E1-hOR). The h2E1 cDNA was expressed under the control of the polyhedrin promoter P(Polh), whereas hOR cDNA was expressed under the control of the P10 promoter. The expressed enzymes were catalytically active in the cell membrane preparations. The estimated molar expression ratio of h2E1 to hOR in the membranes was 1:5. The apparent Km and kcat for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) demethylase activity were 145 microM and 2.4 min-1, respectively. When Sf9 cells were co-infected with the dual-expression virus (v-h2E1-hOR) and human cytochrome b5 recombinant virus (v-hb5), a 9-fold decrease in the Km of NDMA demethylase activity (16 microM) was observed in the membrane preparations, whereas the kcat was increased to 4 min-1. In the second approach, recombinant viruses of h2E1 and hOR (v-h2E1 and v-hOR) were used to co-infect the Sf9 cells. In this double-expression system, with a fixed amount of v-h2E1, the expression of h2E1 in the Sf9 cells decreased as the amount of v-hOR increased. Western blot analysis of the membrane preparations showed that the level of hOR increased, but the level of h2E1 decreased with increasing amounts of v-hOR. A corresponding decrease in h2E1 mRNA, however, was not observed. In the presence of human cytochrome b5 (hb5), the optimal h2E1:hOR molar ratio for h2E1 catalytic activity was 1:1. In order to further investigate the hb5 effect on h2E1-catalyzed reactions in the native membranes, we co-infected Sf9 cells with v-h2E1, v-hOR, and v-hb5 and obtained a membrane preparation containing h2E1, hOR, and hb5. Stoichiometric analysis with membrane preparations from double-infection and triple-infection systems revealed that the presence of hb5 decreased NADPH oxidation and H202 formation by 72 and 80%, respectively, but increased product formation from NDMA 13-fold. These results suggest that hb5 enhances the coupling between h2E1 and hOR for product formation. These studies also demonstrate that the baculovirus-insect cell system can produce high levels of expression of functional h2E1, hOR, and hb5 for mechanistic studies.

7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase↗
PubMed1996

Expression and loading of recombinant heavy and light chain homopolymers of rat liver ferritin.

The full-length genes for the heavy (H) and light (L) chains of ferritin isolated from a rat liver cDNA library were amplified using polymerase chain reaction. Each was inserted at the unique BglII site downstream of the p10 promoter of the baculovirus transfer vector pAcUW21. The genes were transferred separately to infectious Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) expression vectors after in vivo homologous recombination. Ferritin homopolymers of either H or L chain were expressed up to approximately 1.5 mg per 100 ml of infected cultures (2.0 x 10(6) cells/ml) of Spodoptera frugiperda, Sf-21, 4 days postinfection. Both recombinant H chain ferritin (rH-Ft) and recombinant L chain ferritin (rL-Ft) assembled as multi-subunit complexes with predicted electrophoretic mobility. Neither rH-Ft nor rL-Ft homopolymers had ferroxidase activity in 50 mM NaCl, as we have reported previously for native ferritin [D. DeSilva, D. M. Miller, D.W. Reif, and S.D. Aust (1992) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 293,409-415]. When ceruloplasmin, a copper-containing protein, was used as a ferroxidase, rH-Ft loaded iron at rates comparable those obtained with native rat liver apoferritin, but rL-Ft failed to load any iron. The initial rate of Fe(II) oxidation catalyzed by ceruloplasmin was increased in the presence of rH-Ft or rat liver ferritin but not in the presence of rL-Ft. A maximum of about 2500 atoms of iron were incorporated into both rH-Ft and rat liver ferritin. These results demonstrate that both rat liver rH-Ft and rL-Ft homopolymer can be properly produced by the baculovirus expression system and ceruloplasmin can only load iron into H chain ferritin. The physiological significance of these results is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and heterologous expression of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductases from the Papaveraceae.

Cytochrome P450 reductase was purified to homogeneity from cell suspension cultures of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum, the enzyme was characterized (K(m) cytochrome c, 8.3 microM; K(m) NADPH, 4.2 microM; pH optimum, 8.0; M(r), 80 kDa), and the amino acid sequence of internal peptides was determined. Partial cDNA clones from P. somniferum and from Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) were then generated using the polymerase chain reaction and were used as hybridization probes to isolate full-length cDNAs. The Papaver and Eschscholzia cytochrome P450 reductases are 63% identical at the nucleotide level and 69% identical at the amino acid level. SDS-PAGE of the purified native P. somniferum enzyme as well as genomic DNA gel blot analysis indicate that two cytochrome P450 reductase isoforms are present in each species. This evidence is also supported by translation of nucleotide sequences obtained from the PCR-generated partial cDNAs and the full-length cDNAs isolated from lambda libraries. The Papaver and Eschscholzia cytochrome P450 reductases were functionally expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in the insect cell culture Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9. Coexpression of cytochrome P450 reductase with the C-O phenol coupling cytochrome P450 of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Berberis stolonifera, berbamunine synthase (CYP80A1), in insect cell culture resulted in an alteration of the product profile as compared to that obtained by expression of berbamunine synthase in the absence of plant reductase.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1998

Expression and characterization of canine cytochrome P450 2D15.

CYP2D15 is the canine ortholog of human CYP2D6, the human CYP2D isoform involved in the metabolism of drugs such as antiarhythmics, adrenoceptor antagonists, and tricyclic antidepressants. Similar to human, canine CYP2D15 is expressed in the liver, with detectable levels in several other tissues. Three different CYP2D15 cDNA clones were obtained by RT-PCR from dog liver RNA. Two clones corresponded to variant full-length CYP2D15 cDNAs (termed CYP2D15 WT2 and CYP2D15 V1); the third was identified as a splicing variant missing exon 3 (termed CYP2D15 V2). Recombinant baculoviruses were constructed containing full-length cDNAs and used to express CYP2D15 WT2 and CYP2D15 V1 in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells with expression levels of up to 0.14 nmol/mg cell protein. As with human CYP2D6, the recombinant CYP2D15 enzymes exhibited bufuralol 1'-hydroxylaseand dextromethorphan O-demethylase activities whencoexpressed with rabbit NADPH:P450 oxidoreductase. For bufuralol 1'-hydroxylase, apparent Km values were 4.9, 3.7, and 2.5 microM and the Vmax values were 0.14, 0.034, and 0.60 nmol/min/mg protein for dog liver microsomes, CYP2D15 WT2, and the variant CYP2D15 V1, respectively. For dextromethorphan O-demethylase, apparent Km values were 0.6, 0.6, and 2.0 microM and the Vmax values were 0.18, 0.034, and 0.057 nmol/min/mg protein for dog liver microsomes, CYP2D15 WT2, and the variant CYP2D15 V1, respectively. The human CYP2D6-specific inhibitor quinidine and the rat CYP2D1-specific inhibitor quinine were both shown to be inhibitors of bufuralol 1'-hydroxylase activity for dog liver microsomes, CYP2D15 WT2, and the CYP2D15 V1 variant with nearly equal potency. Thus, the dog expresses a CYP2D ortholog possessing enzymatic activities similar to human CYP2D6, but is affected by the inhibitors quinine and quinidine in a manner closer to that of rat CYP2D1.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Regiospecific cytochrome P450 limonene hydroxylases from mint (Mentha) species: cDNA isolation, characterization, and functional expression of (-)-4S-limonene-3-hydroxylase and (-)-4S-limonene-6-hydroxylase.

The oxygenation pattern of the cyclic monoterpenoids of commercial mint (Mentha) species is determined by regiospecific cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of the common olefinic precursor (-)-4S-limonene. In peppermint (Mentha x piperita), C3-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-isopiperitenol, whereas in spearmint, C6-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-carveol. The microsomal limonene-6-hydroxylase was purified from the oil glands of spearmint, and amino acid sequences from the homogeneous enzyme were used to design PCR primers with which a 500-bp amplicon was prepared. This nondegenerate probe was employed to screen a spearmint oil gland cDNA library from which the corresponding full-length cDNA was isolated and subsequently confirmed as the C6-hydroxylase by functional expression using the baculovirus-Spodoptera system. The probe was also utilized to isolate two closely related full-length cDNA species from a peppermint oil gland cDNA library which were confirmed as the limonene-3-hydroxylase by functional expression as before. Deduced sequence analysis of these regiospecific cytochrome P450 monooxygenases indicates that both enzymes bear a typical amino-terminal membrane anchor, consistent with the microsomal location of the native forms, exhibit calculated molecular weights of 56,149 (spearmint) and about 56,560 (peppermint), and are very similar in primary sequence (70% identity and 85% similarity). The availability of these regiochemically distinct, yet very closely related, recombinant hydroxylases and their corresponding genes provides a unique model system for understanding structure-function relationships in cytochrome P450 substrate binding and catalysis, and a means for transgenic manipulation of monoterpene biosynthetic pathways in plants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Characterization of cytochrome P450 2A4 and 2A5-catalyzed 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) metabolism.

The tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), is a potent lung carcinogen in the A/J mouse, and is believed to be a causative agent for human lung cancer. NNK requires metabolic activation by alpha-hydroxylation to exert its carcinogenic potential. The human P450, 2A6 is a catalyst of this reaction. There are two closely related enzymes in the mouse, P450 2A4 and 2A5, which differ from each other by only 11 amino acids. In the present study these two mouse P450s were expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells using recombinant baculovirus. The catalysis of NNK metabolism by Sf9 microsomal fractions containing either P450 2A4 or 2A5 was determined. Both enzymes catalyzed the alpha-hydroxylation of NNK but with strikingly different efficiencies and specificities. P450 2A5 preferentially catalyzed NNK methyl hydroxylation, while P450 2A4 preferentially catalyzed methylene hydroxylation. The KM and Vmax for the former were 1.5 microM and 4.0 nmol/min/nmol P450, respectively, and for the latter 3.9 mM and 190 nmol/min/nmol P450. The mouse coumarin 7-hydroxylase, P450 2A5 is a significantly better catalyst of NNK alpha-hydroxylation than is the closely related human enzyme, P450 2A6.

Animals↗