Cytochrome P450 6B1v1 (CYP6B1v1)

Cytochrome P450 6B1v1 (CYP6B1v1) is a specialized monooxygenase enzyme primarily found in the midgut of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes. It serves as a critical component of the insect's chemical defense system, enabling the detoxification of linear furanocoumarins like xanthotoxin and bergapten, which are potent phototoxins found in host plants such as parsley and parsnip [1, 2, 15]. The expression of this enzyme is highly inducible by its substrates, regulated by specific xenobiotic response elements in its promoter region [1, 10]. In the context of agricultural biotechnology and pest management, CYP6B1v1 is significant because it can also metabolize certain synthetic insecticides, such as diazinon, thereby contributing to metabolic insecticide resistance [5, 11]. Consequently, it is a target for insecticide synergists like piperonyl butoxide, which inhibit the enzyme's activity to restore the efficacy of pesticides against resistant populations [3, 7].

Other names

CYP6B1Cytochrome P450 6B1P450 6B1Xanthotoxin-inducible cytochrome P450

Metabolic detoxification of xenobiotics via oxidative reactions; targeted by inhibitors to synergize insecticide activity.