LAUSR

Abstract Abiotic stresses are responsible for serious productivity and yield losses in many crops worldwide. Thus, there is great relevance in the prospection of plant molecular components, including gene products related to endogenous defense mechanisms, providing insights into plant tolerance. The TCTP (translationally controlled tumor protein) is a protein family highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms and related to abiotic stress responses. Recently, we have verified the thermotolerance in Escherichia coli and in vitro chaperone-like activity of TCTP from cassava (MeTCTP). To increase the understanding about the roles of MeTCTP in response to abiotic stresses, here we performed structural analysis of MeTCTP through homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, generating a three-dimensional model for calcium-binding to MeTCTP, since the calcium binding property is critical for the role of many proteins that are regulated in response to abiotic stress. Results presented here provided the first prediction for calcium-binding to MeTCTP by molecular dynamics simulations and the main residues related to this interaction. In addition, such results can contribute for the understanding of TCTP function against abiotic stress under in vivo conditions in cassava, as well as in other plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana.