MOLECULAR BREEDING OF CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES

细胞色素P450酶的分子育种。细胞色素P450是催化一系列令人印象深刻的氧化转化的酶。然而，关于如何改变它们的底物专一性和产生定制的生物催化剂的可用数据很少。我们计划使用一种名为DNA改组的新兴技术来创建具有不同活动的P450基因库。然后，将对这些细胞进行筛选，以寻找能够催化形成蓝色(一种蓝色染料)和靛玉红(一种化疗药物)的酶。催化蓝宝石形成的酶将在有色转基因植物的生产中发挥作用，而那些产生蓝宝石的酶将在基因治疗中发挥作用。

MOLECULAR BREEDING OF CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES. Cytochrome P450s are enzymes that catalyse an impressive array of oxidative transformations. However, there is little available data on how to modify their substrate specificity and generate tailored biocatalysts. We plan to use an emerging technology known as DNA shuffling to create libraries of P450s with varying activities. These will then be screened for enzymes that can catalyse the formation of indigo (a blue dye) and indirubin (a chemotherapeutic agent). The enzymes that catalyse indigo formation will be useful in the production of coloured transgenic plants and those that produce indirubin will have a role in gene therapy.