Heterogeneity within the alkane-inducible cytochrome P450 gene family of the yeast Candida tropicalis.

The reexamination of a genomic lambda gt11 Candida tropicalis expression library for the presence of genes related to the previously reported alkane-inducible cytochrome P450alk gene (P450alk), which is the first member of the P450LII gene family, was undertaken. A positive clone with a DNA fragment having 69% similarity with a portion of P450alk was isolated. As in the case of P450alk, this new putative P450 gene was also induced by tetradecane when C. tropicalis was grown on this carbon source and was therefore named P450alk2, P450alk1 corresponding to the first isolated P450 gene. In addition to P450alk2, the existence of other P450alk-related genes is suggested by the hybridization pattern of P450alk1 and P450alk2 probes with the C. tropicalis genomic DNA. The P450LII gene family in C. tropicalis appears therefore to include several different members. This heterogeneity is presently a unique feature within yeast P450 gene families and resembles the situation existing in P450 gene families of higher eukaryotes.