Characterization of pisatin-inducible cytochrome p450s in fungal pathogens of pea that detoxify the pea phytoalexin pisatin. Many fungi that are pathogenic on pea have the ability to demethylate and thus detoxify the pea phytoalexin pisatin. This detoxification reaction has been studied most thoroughly in Nectria haematococca MP VI where it functions as a virulence trait. The enzyme catalyzing this reaction [pisatin demethylase (pda)] is a cytochrome P450. In the current study, the induction of whole-cell pda activity and the biochemical properties of pda in microsomal preparations from the pea pathogens Ascochyta pisi, Mycosphaerella pinodes, and Phoma pinodella are compared to the pda produced by N. haematococca. Based on cofactor requirements and their inhibition by carbon monoxide, cytochrome P450 inhibitors, and antibodies to NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase, we conclude that the pdas from the other pea pathogens also are cytochrome P450s. All of the enzymes show a rather selective induction by pisatin, have a low K(m) toward pisatin, and have a fairly high degree of specificity toward pisatin as a substrate, suggesting that each pathogen may have a specific cytochrome P450 for detoxifying this plant antibiotic. Since the pdas in these fungi differ in their pattern of sensitivity to P450 inhibitors and display other minor biochemical differences, we suggest that these fungi may have independently evolved a specialized cytochrome P450 as a virulence trait for a common host.