MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATIONS OF TWO CYTOCHROME P 450 GENES ENCODING CYP 6 A 41 AND CYP 6 EK 1 FROM THE ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY, B actrocera dorsalis ( D IPTERA: T EPHRITIDAE)

Two P450 genes encoding CYP 6 A 41 and CYP 6 EK 1 were cloned from the oriental fruit fly using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends ( RACE ) techniques. CYP 6 A 41 and CYP 6 EK 1 contained open reading frames of 1,530 and 1,524 nucleotides that encode 510 and 508 amino acid residues, respectively. The putative proteins shared 44% identity with each other. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CYP 6 A 41 and CYP 6 EK 1 were most closely related to C eratitis capitata CYP 6 A 10 and CYP 6 A subfamily. Expression patterns of the two genes in different geographical populations ( Y unnan, H ainan, D ongguang, and G uangzhou), developmental stages (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults), and tissues (midguts, fat bodies, and M alpighian tubules) were analyzed by real‐time quantitative PCR ( RT‐qPCR ) methods. The results showed that the expression levels of CYP 6 EK 1 were significantly different among the four populations, but were not different for CYP 6 A 41. Both the expressions of CYP 6 A 41 and CYP 6 EK 1 were development specific and had significantly higher levels in the larval stage. The expression of CYP 6 A 41 did not vary among the midgut, fat body, or M alpighian tubules; however, CYP 6 EK 1 expression was higher in the M alpighian tubules. The results suggest that CYP 6 A 41 and CYP 6 EK 1 might be involved in detoxification of xenobiotic compounds that were harmful to larval flies or development. Moreover, high expression of CYP 6 EK 1 in the M alpighian tubules also implied participation in detoxification.