MOLECULAR-CLONING AND SEQUENCING OF A CDNA-ENCODING MUNG BEAN CYTOCHROME-P450 (P450C4H) POSSESSING CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE ACTIVITY

With the aid of partial amino acid sequences determined for cinnamate 4- hydroxylase (P450C4H) purified from mung bean seedlings, two cDNA clones were isolated and their inserts were completely sequenced. The nucleotide sequences of the two clones were nearly identical and contained an open reading frame predicted to encode a polypeptide consisting of 505 amino acid residues. The partial sequences determined from the purified P450C4H closely corresponded to the primary structures deduced from the cDNA sequences. This is the first isolation of cDNA clones encoding a higher plant P450 possessing clear physiological activity. Comparison to known cytochromes P450 indicated that P450C4H belongs to a novel P450 gene family. © 1993 Academic Press, Inc.