Transcript expression profiling in two contrasting cultivars and molecular cloning of a SKP-1 like gene, a component of SCF-ubiquitin proteasome system from mungbean Vigna radiate L.

Protein degradation and turnover under various environmental stresses is basically regulated by ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), of which SKP1 is a very essential component. Isolation and cloning of an identified potential stress responsive candidate gene SKP1, was successfully done for the first time to fathom the role of SKP1 in drought tolerance at genetic level in drought tolerant mungbean cultivar Pratap, which was screened after a detailed physio-biochemical screening amongst seven popular mungbean cultivars. The cloned gene SKP1 (accession number KX881912) is 550 bp in length, encodes 114 amino acids. It shows high sequence homology with SKP1 from Zea mays (NP_001148633). The protein expression of isolated SKP1 was confirmed by GUS fused expression using a Histochemical assay under control as well as under drought stress. Further, up-regulation in relative expression level of SKP1 in different plant parts under drought stress confirmed its utility as a potential drought responsive candidate gene certainly demanding extensive genetic research for further incorporation in breeding programs. Moreover, the structure of VrSKP1 (Vigna radiata SKP1) has been modelled, validated and an Essential Dynamics (ED) was done on the Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories for filtering large-scale concerted motions. Free-energy calculations on the ED revealed a complex free-energy landscape (FEL) implying the conformational diversity of the modelled VrSPK1 protein.