Induction by barbiturates of a cytochrome P-450-dependent fatty acid monooxygenase in Bacillus megaterium: relationship between barbiturate structure and inducer activity

In a recent communication (Narhi, L. and Fulco, A.J. 1982] J. Biol. Chem. 257, 2147-2150) we found that a soluble cytochrome P-450-dependent fatty acid monooxygenase isolated from Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581 could be induced about 28-fold by phenobarbital. We have now examined 19 barbiturates and found that 13 significantly induce the specific monooxygenase activity. Of these, 11 are more active than phenobarbital and three (secobarbital, thiamylal and methohexital) are more than 30 times as active on a molar basis. The dialkyl barbiturates without exception show an excellent correlation between increasing lipophilicity and increasing potency as inducers as do most of the barbiturates containing an aromatic substituent. Nevertheless, it is apparent that certain structural features involving factors other than lipophilicity are also necessary for induction. Our finding that barbiturates can cause the non-substrate induction of a cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase in a prokaryote represents a unique discovery that may provide a relatively simple model for apparently similar induction systems in higher animals.