Specificity of Self-Assembly of Cytochrome P450

K. N. Myasoedova

Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Kosygina 4, Moscow, 117977 Russia; fax: (095) 939-7417; E-mail: kinet@glas.apc.org

Received December 25, 1997; Revision received April 23, 1998

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Under certain conditions, hexamers of microsomal cytochrome P450 can self-assemble from the subunits of different isoforms. However, the possibility for free choice results in recognition between identical subunits of each form of cytochrome P450 which provides preferential association of identical monomers into corresponding hexamers. The specificity of self-assembly suggests hexameric arrangement of cytochrome P450 in native membranes as we proposed earlier. In the present study, highly purified cytochrome P450 2B4 and cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP 2B4 and CYP 1A2), including those immobilized by covalent attachment to an insoluble carrier of one protomer of each hexamer, were employed.

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KEY WORDS: microsomal cytochrome P450, forms 2B4 and 1A2, quaternary structure, hexamer self-assembly, immobilization

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