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Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine against Glycoprotein G of Nipah Henipavirus Using Immunoinformatics Approaches
Arwa A Mohammed1,2, Shaza W Shantier1,3, Mujahed I Mustafa1
1Department of Biotechnology, Africa City of Technology, Sudan.
Background:
Nipah belongs to the genus Henipavirus and the Paramyxoviridae family. It is an endemic most commonly found at South Asia and has first emerged in Malaysia in 1998. Bats are found to be the main reservoir for this virus, causing disease in both humans and animals. The last outbreak has occurred in May 2018 in Kerala. It is characterized by high pathogenicity and fatality rates which varies from 40% to 70% depending on the severity of the disease and on the availability of adequate healthcare facilities. Currently, there are no antiviral drugs available for NiV disease and the treatment is just supportive. Clinical presentations for this virus range from asymptomatic infection to fatal encephalitis.
Objective:
This study is aimed at predicting an effective epitope-based vaccine against glycoprotein G of Nipah henipavirus, using immunoinformatics approaches.
Methods And Materials:
Glycoprotein G of the Nipah virus sequence was retrieved from NCBI. Different prediction tools were used to analyze the epitopes, namely, BepiPred-2.0: Sequential B Cell Epitope Predictor for B cell and T cell MHC classes II and I. Then, the proposed peptides were docked using Autodock 4.0 software program. Results and Conclusions. The two peptides TVYHCSAVY and FLIDRINWI have showed a very strong binding affinity to MHC class I and MHC class II alleles. Furthermore, considering the conservancy, the affinity, and the population coverage, the peptide FLIDRINWIT is highly suitable to be utilized to formulate a new vaccine against glycoprotein G of Nipah henipavirus. An in vivo study for the proposed peptides is also highly recommended.
Insights
Nipah virus, a bat-borne pathogen, poses a significant threat with no available treatments. This study identified a promising peptide, FLIDRINWIT, as a potential component for an effective Nipah henipavirus vaccine.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus endemic in South Asia, with bats as its primary reservoir.
- NiV outbreaks are associated with high fatality rates (40-70%) and severe neurological disease, with no specific antiviral treatments currently available.
- The virus causes a spectrum of illness, from asymptomatic infections to fatal encephalitis, highlighting the urgent need for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To predict an effective epitope-based vaccine candidate targeting the glycoprotein G of Nipah henipavirus.
- To utilize immunoinformatics approaches for rational vaccine design.
Main Methods:
- Retrieved Nipah virus glycoprotein G sequence from NCBI.
- Employed BepiPred-2.0 for predicting B cell and T cell epitopes (MHC class I and II).
- Utilized Autodock 4.0 for molecular docking of predicted peptides.
Main Results:
- Identified two peptides, TVYHCSAVY and FLIDRINWI, exhibiting strong binding affinity to MHC class I and II alleles, respectively.
- The peptide FLIDRINWIT demonstrated high conservancy, binding affinity, and population coverage.
- These findings suggest FLIDRINWIT as a suitable candidate for a Nipah henipavirus vaccine.
Conclusions:
- The immunoinformatic analysis successfully identified potential vaccine epitopes against Nipah henipavirus glycoprotein G.
- The peptide FLIDRINWIT is a highly promising candidate for developing a novel vaccine against NiV.
- Further in vivo studies are recommended to validate the efficacy of the proposed peptide-based vaccine.
