Cytochrome P450 oxygenases of Taxol biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases play a prominent role in the biosynthesis of the diterpenoid anticancer drug Taxol, as they appear to constitute about half of the 19 enzymatic steps of the pathway in yew (Taxus) species. A combination of classical biochemical and molecular methods, including cell-free enzyme studies and differential-display of mRNA-reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) combined with a homology-based searching and random sequencing of a cDNA library from induced T. cuspidata cells, led to the discovery of six novel cytochrome P450 taxoid (taxane diterpenoid) hydroxylases. These genes show unusually high sequence similarity with each other (>70%) but low similarity (<30%) to, and significant evolutionary distance from, other plant P450s. Despite their high

SUBMITTER: Kaspera R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2901147 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature