Genomic Mining and Bioinformatic Characterization of Antiviral Biosynthetic Gene Clusters from Piper Crocatum Endophytic Bacteria Against Influenza Virus

Abstract

Influenza viruses persist as seasonal pathogens and a continuing source of morbidity and mortality. Its RNA genome permits antigenic drift, which can reduce the effectiveness of existing antivirals and preventive strategies, motivating a search for new antiviral agents, such as those produced by endophytic bacteria in plants like Piper crocatum. This study used bioinformatic genome mining tools (Galaxy and antiSMASH) to analyze whole-genome sequence data from endophytic bacteria isolated from Piper crocatum and to identify biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) with potential relevance to the discovery of antiviral metabolites against influenza viruses. Across isolates, multiple BGC classes were detected, indicating a considerable degree of biosynthetic capacity. The most robust candidates were NRP-metallophore/NRPS regions containing conserved catecholate siderophore core genes, which may provide indirect antiviral capability. Other regions displayed specialized or functional potential but lacked coherent region-level reference matches and were treated as novel-like or not suitable candidates under current database constraints. Overall, the study provides putative candidate BGCs and mechanistic hypotheses for future experimental validation rather than direct evidence of anti-influenza activity.