Isolation and computational characterization of glutathione peroxidase gene from an aquatic fern - Salvinia molesta

Pteridophytes and more specifically ferns represent a large but threatened group of plants which often serve as important environmental markers for pollution. Reports regarding stress responses in ferns are rare, apart from a few studies involving the ecological distribution and molecular marker studies. This work isolates a glutathione peroxidase enzyme from an aquatic fern widely distributed in fresh and polluted water bodies adjacent to sources of environmental polluted sources. Further computational analyses were performed to study the structure of the protein encoded by the open reading frame. Results indicate the presence of a large number of binding pockets which serve as important binding sites in the interactions with the cognate ligands.