Cloning and expression of cytochrome P450 genes belonging to the CYP4 family and to a novel family, CYP48, in two hymenopteran insects, Trichogramma cacoeciae and Apis mellifera

Cytochrome P450 partial sequences were isolated by PCR using genomic DNA fr om two hymenopteran insects of agronomical importance, Trichogramma cacoeci ae, a parasitoid wasp, and Apis mellifera, the honeybee. Four new P450 gene s were identified: one honeybee gene belongs to the CYP4 family and was nam ed CYP4G11; the three other genes were from Trichogramma and belong to the CYP4 family (CYP4G12) and to a novel family, the CYP48 one (CYP48A1 and CYP 48A2). The four genes contain a short intron (72-95 bp) at the same positio n as already described for other insect species. The two genes CYP48A1 and CYP48A2 have a supernumary intron (57-71 bp) upstream the first one. Only t he two CYP4 genes were constitutively transcribed, at a high level for CYP4 G12 and at a low level for CYP4G11. No expression was observed for CYP48A1 and CYP48A2. (C) 2000 Academic Press.