شیرین جلال دولتشاهی - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding Sciences, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
سید احمد سادات-نوری - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding Sciences, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
سید محمد مهدی مرتضویان - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding Sciences, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
مهدی سلطانی حویزه - Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
کسری اصفهانی - Department of Plant Bioproducts, Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (IAB), National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.

Plant phenolic monoterpenes, such as thymol and carvacrol, have a wide range of applications in medicinal, pharmaceutical and other industries. Ajowan is an aromatic medicinal plant from the Apiaceae family with thymol as an active component of its seeds. The seeds of ajowan are valuable for medicinal purposes because their essential oil contains active substances of thymol, carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and p-cymene. Cytochrome P۴۵۰ (CYP) –related genes have an indispensable role in the biosynthetic pathway of thymol and other substances in ajowan. A cytochrome P۴۵۰ gene (CYP۷۱D۵۰۰) with a high expression level was isolated from the ajowan, cloned and sequenced. The sequencing information from the previous RNA-Seq study confirmed that the isolated gene belongs to the plant CYP۷۱ clan, with a ۱۶۵۴ bp length containing two exons and a ۱۱۵ bp intron. The full-length cDNA of CYP۷۱D۵۰۰ was also cloned. The sequencing of CYP۷۱D۵۰۰ cDNA showed the complete homology of CYP۷۱D۵۰۰ cDNA and exon regions of the CYP۷۱D۵۰۰ genomic sequence. The sequencing analysis of CYP۷۱D۵۰۰ cDNA also revealed a mutation that changed isoleucine to valine amino acid. The ۳D structural analysis of the enzyme showed that the modified amino acid is not located in the enzyme’s active site. Therefore, this cannot probably affect the synthesis of thymol. The isolated gene and cDNA could be used for the metabolic engineering of ajowan and other medicinal plants with active phenolic monoterpenes. It is also applicable for identifying the different functions of the cloned CYP gene in ajowan or other medicinal plants.

Ajowan, Apiaceae, Cytochrome P۴۵۰, CYP۷۱D۵۰۰, Metabolic engineering, Monoterpenes