In silico Identification and Characterization of Molecules with Antimicrobial Activity in Legumes from the Northeastern Semiarid Region subjected to stress (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) make up the innate defense of plants and can increase expression when subjected to biotic and abiotic stresses. In the semi-arid environment of the Caatinga, there are few molecular studies with native plants, such as the Cenostigma pyramidale (``catingueira``), which presents considerable resistance to adverse environmental conditions. Considering the antimicrobial potential of AMPs and their relevance in plant defense, structural analyzes aim to identify and characterize in silico AMPs with great biotechnological potential, through the analysis of omics data using bioinformatics. Methodology: sequences were aligned using Clustalômega, with manual analysis using MEGA7 and Jaw view; phylogeny by MEGA7; and gene expression from salt stress over 30 minutes, 2 hours and 11 days. Results and discussion: As for gene expression, the action of cross-talking on defensin genes was visualized, which were activated after salt stress at 30 minutes, to ensure the plant's defense against other types of stress, such as biotic stress. At 2 hours, the genes were repressed, as the plant prioritizes the activation of other sequences, and, at 11 days, the genes were induced again, as the ``catingueira`` accepts high salinity conditions as a new degree of homeostasis. By alignment, it was ensured that these peptides share the conserved 6-cysteine domain as well as the conserved three-dimensional structure, which consists of an α-helix and three antiparallel β-strands. Conclusion: ``catingueira`` is an excellent source of antimicrobial peptides and has high biotechnological potential for the development of drugs that do not present resistance to antibiotics.