Cytochrome P450 partial sequences were isolated by PCR using genomic DNA from two hymenopteran insects of agronomical importance, Trichogramma cacoeciae, a parasitoid wasp, and Apis mellifera, the honeybee. Four new P450 genes were identified: one honeybee gene belongs to the CYP4 family and was named CYP4G11; the three other genes were from Trichogramma and belong to the CYP4 family (CYP4G12) and to a novel family, the CYP48 one (CYP48A1 and CYP48A2). The four genes contain a short intron (72-95 bp) at the same position as already described for other insect species. The two genes CYP48A1 and CYP48A2 have a supernumary intron (57-71 bp) upstream the first one. Only the two CYP4 genes were constitutively transcribed, at a high level for CYP4G12 and at a low level for CYP4G11. No expression was observed for CYP48A1 and CYP48A2.
Copyright 2000 Academic Press.