22-Oxocholestanes SPGP4 and SPGP8: in Silico and in Vitro Study as Activators of Plant Growth Promotion

The 22-oxocholestanes compounds have shown an outstanding plant growth promoting activity; they have similar bioactivity as brassinosteroids, so they are normally named as brassinosteroid analogs thinking that they also impact on the known receptor BRI1. However, in silico studies allow us to predict interactions with other receptors and thus it's possible to evaluate them, through receptors of gibberellins, auxins, jasmonates, strigolactones and the protein associated with the BRI1 gene. This article describes the bioactivity of structures SPGP4 and SPGP8 as plant growth-promoting compounds. Both structures present coupling energies and interactions at the same level as epibrassinolide in the protein associated with BRI1 gene. Additionally, interactions through the auxin pathway and to strigolactone receptor were found using selected tests. In the rice lamina tilt, a higher effect was obtained when SPGP4 and SPGP8 were compared to epibrassinolide, although in a lesser level vis à vis to homobrassinolide. In the same way, when SPGP4 and SPGP8 were tested in the Growth Root Model an activity as strigonolactones was observed, enhancing the relationship between the main and secondary roots. However, the growth of coleptiles, when applying auxins, compounds SPGP4 and SPGP8 did not reach the same level as controls. In the tests associated to gibberellins and jasmonic acid, an increased bioactivity was observed, although this behavior was not reflected from the in silico study, possibly due to secondary signaling cascades. This work demonstrates that the 22-oxocolestane compounds SPGP4 and SPGP8 could be used as plant growth hormones, promoting several pathways.