Weed controller metabolism proteins, genes thereof and use of the same

An isolated DNA encoding a herbicide metabolizing protein, wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 224;
• (b) a protein having an ability to convert in the presence of an electron transport system containing an electron donor, a compound of formula (II)
• to a compound of formula (III),
• and comprising an amino acid sequence which has at least 90% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 224, and which contains an amino acid sequence encoded by a DNA amplifiable by a polymerase chain reaction with a primer comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 124 and a primer comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 129, and which retains the cysteine at a position corresponding to amino acid number 347 in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 224;
• and
• (c) a protein having an ability to convert in the presence of an electron transport system containing an electron donor, a compound of formula (II) to a compound of formula (III), and comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a DNA amplifiable by a polymerase chain reaction with a primer comprising the nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:
• 124 to 128, a primer comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 129 and as a template a chromosomal DNA of Streptomyces steffisburgensis.