Expression and regulation of CYP6D3 in the house fly, Musca domestica (L.)

Recently, a new cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6D3, was identified from house fly. CYP6D3 was found upstream of a related gene (CYP6D1) on autosome 1. CYP6D3 cDNA sequences were obtained and compared from insecticide resistant (LPR) and susceptible (CS and Edinburgh) strains. Although each strain had a different CYP6D3 allele, the deduced amino acid sequences revealed no consistent differences between the susceptible and resistant strains. There was approximately 12-fold more CYP6D3 mRNA detected in adult LPR flies compared to CS, and the elevated level of expression in LPR was not due to gene amplification. Northern blots indicate expression of CYP6D3 mRNA is developmentally regulated with no expression in eggs, yet it is readily detectable in larvae as well as male and female adults. Phenobarbital is a well studied inducer of P450s in insects and it induced expression of CYP6D3 mRNA in both the CS (16-fold) and LPR (1.6 fold) strains. The CYP6D3 5' flanking regions were sequenced from the resistant and susceptible strains. Possible regulatory sequences within this region are discussed.