CYP52 (CYTOCHROME-P450ALK) MULTIGENE FAMILY IN CANDIDA-MALTOSA - IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 8 MEMBERS

Previously, we characterized three genes and presented evidence for an n-alkane-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450alk) multigene family in an n -alkane-assimilating and diploid-type yeast, Candida maltosa. In the p resent report, we isolated and characterized additional members of thi s gene family, including a total of thirteen P450alk-related sequences (eight genes and five of their alleles). Two sets, each consisting of two genes, were tandemly arranged in the genome. A gene replacement e xperiment showed that at least one gene had only a single allele in th e genome. The determined nucleotide and the deduced amino acid sequenc es indicated that all had a characteristic constituent for P450s and e xhibited amino acid identities from 94% to 37% to each other. Six gene s showed relatively higher similarities to each other than to the othe r two genes and were thus classified into a subfamily. All the members of this subfamily were assigned to the same single chromosome, showin g a good correlation between sequence similarity and chromosomal linka ge. Although all the genes except for one were induced by n-alkane, th eir inducibilities by some other aliphatic carbon sources showed varia bilities.