Cytochrome P450s in plants

Abstract

Plants are sessile organisms that cannot avoid exposure to adverse climatic conditions or attack from herbivores and pests by escaping. To survive and protect themselves, they are dependent on the ability to (a) redirect their overall metabolism to meet environmental constraints, (b) construct physical barriers that are difficult to penetrate, (c) produce chemicals that make the plant toxic to pests and herbivores, and (d) communicate with the environment, for example, to attract pollinators. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) play a key role in enabling plants to achieve these main goals.