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Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		An insect-specific P450 oxidative decarbonylase for cuticular hydrocarbon biosynthesis
Author(s):		Qiu Y; Tittiger C; Wicker-Thomas C; Le Goff G; Young S; Wajnberg E; Fricaux T; Taquet N; Blomquist GJ; Feyereisen R;
Address:		"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		2012
Volume:		20120827
Issue:		37
Page Number:		14858 - 14863
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.1208650109
ISSN/ISBN:		1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Print) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Insects use hydrocarbons as cuticular waterproofing agents and as contact pheromones. Although their biosynthesis from fatty acyl precursors is well established, the last step of hydrocarbon biosynthesis from long-chain fatty aldehydes has remained mysterious. We show here that insects use a P450 enzyme of the CYP4G family to oxidatively produce hydrocarbons from aldehydes. Oenocyte-directed RNAi knock-down of Drosophila CYP4G1 or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase results in flies deficient in cuticular hydrocarbons, highly susceptible to desiccation, and with reduced viability upon adult emergence. The heterologously expressed enzyme converts C(18)-trideuterated octadecanal to C(17)-trideuterated heptadecane, showing that the insect enzyme is an oxidative decarbonylase that catalyzes the cleavage of long-chain aldehydes to hydrocarbons with the release of carbon dioxide. This process is unlike cyanobacteria that use a nonheme diiron decarbonylase to make alkanes from aldehydes with the release of formate. The unique and highly conserved insect CYP4G enzymes are a key evolutionary innovation that allowed their colonization of land"
Keywords:		"Aldehydes/metabolism Animal Shells/*chemistry Animals Biosynthetic Pathways/genetics/*physiology Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/*metabolism Drosophila/chemistry/*enzymology Hydrocarbons/*metabolism Immunohistochemistry Microscopy, Confocal Microsomes/meta;"
Notes:		"MedlineQiu, Yue Tittiger, Claus Wicker-Thomas, Claude Le Goff, Gaelle Young, Sharon Wajnberg, Eric Fricaux, Thierry Taquet, Nathalie Blomquist, Gary J Feyereisen, Rene eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2012/08/29 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Sep 11; 109(37):14858-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1208650109. Epub 2012 Aug 27"