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，关于如何改变其底物特异性并产生定制的生物催化剂的可用数据很少。我们计划使用一种称为DNA改组的新兴技术来创建具有不同活性的P450文库。然后，这些细胞将被筛选出能够催化靛蓝（一种蓝色染料）和靛玉红（一种化学治疗剂）形成的酶。催化靛蓝形成的酶将用于生产有色转基因植物，而产生靛玉红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.