Recent progress in the CYP51 research focusing on its unique evolutionary and functional characteristics as a diversozyme P450.

CYP51 (sterol 14-demethylase P450) is a family of P450 species having the same function in distinct kingdoms, which makes CYP51 a unique and important enzyme family for the discussion of evolution and diversification of P450. Although CYP51 was named to the P450 originally discovered in yeast and fungi, today, we know that members of CYP51 family exist ubiquitously in animals, plants, fishes, lower eukaryotes such as slime mold, and a part of bacteria. In this review, I describe following subjects: 1) CYP51 as a model family for understanding of diversification of P450, 2) the structure and function relationships of CYP51s.