Cytochrome P450 and plant secondary metabolism

Cytochrome P450s are a diverse array of multifunctional heme-thiolate proteinsin animal,plant and bacteria which consist of a gene superfamily.They play an important rolein preventing the plants from injury by catalyzing many kinds of reactions. Plant P450s playparaniount roles in synthesis of pant defense compounds including many secondary metabolites anda variety of plant allelochemicals,and metabolize toxic herbicides and insecticides into nontoxicproducts. Many plant P450s have been purified, and more have been cloned at gene level andexpressed in yeast or transgened into plant.Some progresses also have been made in the expressionand regulation of plant P450 gene but the study of its transfer to engineered anti-insect and anti-herbicide crops is still at a preliminary stage.