Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (12): 27-39.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-0510

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Cytochrome P450 Involved in Secondary Metabolites Biosynthesis in Response to Biotic Stresses

WANG Jia1,2,3(), GAO Ming1,3, ZHAO Yun-xiao1,3, CHEN Yi-cun1,3(), WANG Yang-dong1,3()   

  1. 1.Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400
    2.Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037
    3.Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Breeding, Hangzhou 311400
  • Received:2025-05-18 Online:2025-12-26 Published:2026-01-06
  • Contact: CHEN Yi-cun, WANG Yang-dong E-mail:wangjiashixiaohai@163.com;chenyc@caf.ac.cn;wangyangdong@caf.ac.cn

Abstract:

Plant cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes constitute a critical class of heme-binding proteins, distinguished by the characteristic 450 nm absorption peak in their reduced carbon monoxide-bound form. As one of the largest single oxygenase superfamilies in plants, CYP450 enzymes are widely involved in various biological processes such as growth and development, secondary metabolism synthesis, and stress defense by catalyzing multiple oxidation reactions including hydroxylation, epoxidation, and dealkylation. They are thus hailed as “universal biological catalysts”. Under biotic stress conditions (such as pathogen invasion and pest feeding), plantactivate CYP450-mediated secondary metabolic pathways such as phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, fatty acids, and glucosinolates to synthesize compounds with pesticidal or antimicrobial properties, thereby enhancing the plant’s ability to resist pests and diseases. In recent years, with the development of high-throughput sequencing technology and molecular biology, multiple CYP450 enzymes associated with these biological processes have been isolated, screened, and functionally characterized in diverse plant species. In view of this, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the nomenclature, structural characteristics, classification and distribution of CYP450 enzymes in plants. Concurrently, it focuses on introducing the research progress of CYP450 family genes in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and biotic stress responses. It provides a reference for the mining and functional study of CYP450 family genes in plants, as well as provides a basis for the role of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and biotic stress response based on this.

Key words: cytochrome P450, nomenclature, structural characteristics, secondary metabolites biosynthesis, biotic stresses