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In silico analysis of Pap31 from Bartonella bacilliformis and other Bartonella spp
1Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Genómica Bacteriana, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru.
Abstract:
Pap31 is an outer membrane protein of Bartonella bacilliformis which is considered to be a potential antigenic candidate for the development of diagnostic tools. The present study aimed to compare Pap31 from B. bacilliformis with that of other Bartonella spp. The results showed the presence of at least 5 different B. bacilliformis Pap31 alleles, with the strain Ver097 being the most divergent (89.7% of identity with the reference strain KC583). The most significant finding was the presence of a variable number (1 to 3) of 6 amino acid tandem repeats (GTEGGG) in the different B. bacilliformis Pap31 alleles, with no similar structure in other established Bartonella spp., except for Bartonella ancashensis, another Bartonella spp. isolated from chronic cases of Carrion's disease. In both B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis this repetitive region was coincident with the most predicted immunogenic region of the protein. In other microorganisms, the presence of amino acid tandem repeats has been related to the development of poorly functional antibodies. The findings of this study also suggest a utility of Pap31 amino acid tandem repeats as potential contributors to the immune evasion of Carrion's disease-related Bartonella spp. and the establishment of asymptomatic B. bacilliformis / B. ancashensis infections.
Insights
Pap31 protein in Bartonella bacilliformis exhibits unique amino acid repeats, potentially aiding immune evasion in Carrion's disease. These repeats may influence antibody function and infection establishment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Pap31 is an outer membrane protein of Bartonella bacilliformis, a pathogen causing Carrion's disease.
- Pap31 is a candidate antigen for developing diagnostic tools for Bartonella infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the Pap31 protein from Bartonella bacilliformis with homologous proteins from other Bartonella species.
- To investigate the structural variations and potential functional implications of Pap31 in Bartonella species.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of Pap31 alleles from different Bartonella bacilliformis strains.
- Comparative sequence analysis of Pap31 across various Bartonella species.
- Identification and characterization of amino acid tandem repeats within the Pap31 protein.
Main Results:
- At least five distinct Pap31 alleles were identified in Bartonella bacilliformis, with significant divergence in strain Ver097.
- A variable number (1-3) of GTEGGG amino acid tandem repeats were found in B. bacilliformis Pap31 alleles, absent in most other Bartonella species, except B. ancashensis.
- These repetitive regions in B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis overlap with predicted immunogenic sites, potentially impacting antibody functionality.
Conclusions:
- The unique GTEGGG tandem repeats in Pap31 of B. bacilliformis and B. ancashensis may contribute to immune evasion strategies employed by these bacteria.
- These findings suggest a role for Pap31 repeats in the establishment of asymptomatic infections caused by Carrion's disease-related Bartonella species.
