Structural homology of metal-dependent proteins of woody plants used in agroforestry of arid areas

Abstract

Fighting against desertification is one of the priorities in the world. In areas subject to desertification, there is a deficiency of heavy metal ions, such as Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu and Ni, which are involved in the implementation of metabolic processes in woody plants. In this study, an assessment metal-dependent proteins and an analysis of the structural homology between them in Quercus robur, Robinia pseudoacacia, Gleditsia triacanthos, Ulmus pumila and Fraxinus excelsior used in agroforestry of arid territories was carried out. Bioinformatic analysis included multiple alignment of amino acid sequences using the Ugene program by the ClustalW algorithm (BLOSUM62 matrix). According to the results of studying the plants metalloproteome, it was found that Quercus robur has 18 proteins, Robinia pseudoacacia – 24, Gleditsia triacanthos – 3, Ulmus pumila – 19, Fraxinus excelsior – 14 metal-dependent proteins. The main part of metal-dependent proteins is involved in photosynthesis and respiration, in particular Fe, Zn and Co-dependent proteins. Multiple alignment showed a high degree of protein homology between species of woody plants, where similarity varied from 65% to 100%. The results can be used to create new agricultural technologies for productivity management and the formation of adaptation to adverse environmental factors.