Cytochromes P450 from the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium, CYP5136A1 and CYP5136A3, are capable of catalyzing oxygenation reactions of a wide variety of exogenous compounds, implying their significant roles in the metabolism of xenobiotics by the fungus. It is therefore interesting to explore their biochemistry to better understand fungal biology and to enable the use of fungal enzymes in the biotechnology sector. In the present study, we developed heterologous expression systems for CYP5136A1 and CYP5136A3 using the T7 RNA polymeraseipromoter system in Escherichia coli. Expression levels of recombinant P450s were dramatically improved by modifications and optimization of their N-terminal amino acid sequences. A CYP5136A1 reaction system was reconstructed in E. coli whole cells by coexpression of CYP5136A1 and a redox partner, NADPH-dependent P450 reductase (CPR). The catalytic activity of CYP5136A1 was significantly increased when cytochrome b(5) (Cyt-b(5)) was further coexpressed with CPR, indicating that Cyt-b(5) supports electron transfer reactions from NAD(P)H to CYP5136A1. Notably, P450 reaction occurred in E. coli cells that harbored CYP5136A1 and Cyt-b(5) but not CPR, implying that the reducing equivalents required for the P450 catalytic cycle were transferred via a CPR-independent pathway. Such an "alternative" electron transfer system in CYP5136A1 reaction was also demonstrated using purified enzymes in vitro. The fungal P450 reaction system may be associated with sophisticated electron transfer pathways. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.