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South Asian Research Journal of Biology and Applied Biosciences (SARJBAB)
Volume-8 | Issue-03
Original Research Article
In Silico Genome-wide Identification of Salt Stress-Responsive Genomic Elements with Special Reference to WRKY Genes in Vicia faba L.
Arya Ji, Manoj Kumar Sharma, Sachin Kumar
Published : June 13, 2026
DOI : https://doi.org/10.36346/sarjbab.2026.v08i03.010
Abstract
Vicia faba (faba bean) is a globally significant cool-season grain legume valued for its high protein content, nitrogen-fixing capacity, and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions. However, abiotic stresses, particularly soil salinization, severely constrain its productivity. Transcription factors of the WRKY superfamily play pivotal roles in regulating plant responses to abiotic stress, including salt tolerance. This study presents an integrated bioinformatics pipeline to identify, characterize, and analyze putative salt stress-responsive WRKY genes in V. faba. Using Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY8 (UniProt: Q9FL26) as a reference, we performed homology-based screening against the V. faba genome via Ensembl Plants BLAST. Candidate sequences underwent rigorous physicochemical profiling (ProtParam), conserved domain analysis (NCBI-CDD), motif elucidation (MEME Suite), phylogenetic reconstruction (MEGA), gene structure visualization (GSDS), and subcellular localization prediction (WoLF PSORT). Iterative filtering based on domain architecture and motif conservation yielded a high-confidence set of WRKY candidates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed diversification across Groups I, II, and III, with evidence of legume-specific expansion. The majority of candidates exhibited predicted nuclear localization, acidic to mildly basic isoelectric points, and thermostable aliphatic indices consistent with transcriptional regulatory functions. Gene structural analysis revealed intron-exon architectural diversity, suggesting evolutionary divergence and potential alternative splicing regulation. This work establishes a foundational genomic framework for understanding WRKY-mediated salt stress signaling in faba bean and identifies candidate targets for future functional validation and translational breeding toward salinity-tolerant cultivars.

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