Rational design of multimeric based subunit vaccine against Mycoplasma pneumonia: Subtractive proteomics with
Marvah Mahmood1, Anam Javaid1, Farah Shahid1
1Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Abstract:
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the prevalent cause of acquired respiratory infections around the globe. A multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) must be developed to combat infections of M. pneumoniae because there is no specific disease-modifying treatment or vaccination is present. The objective of this research is to design a vaccine that targets M. pneumoniae top five highly antigenic proteins using a combination of immunological techniques and molecular docking. T-cell (HTL & CTL), B-cell, and IFN-γ of target proteins were forecasted and highly conservative epitopes were chosen for further study. For designing of final vaccine, 4LBL, 7CTL, and 5HTL epitopes were joined by linkers of KK, AAY, and GPGPG. The N-end of the vaccine was linked to an adjuvant (Cholera enterotoxin subunit B) with a linker named EAAAK to enhance immunogenicity. After the addition of adjuvants and linkers, the size of the construct was 395 amino acids. The epitopes of IFN-γ and B-cells illustrate that the model construct is optimized for cell-mediated immune or humoral responses. To ensure that the final design is safer and immunogenic, properties like non-allergens, antigenicity, and various physicochemical properties were evaluated. Molecular docking of the vaccine with the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was conducted to check the compatibility of the vaccine with the receptor. Besides, in-silico cloning was utilized for validation of the credibility and proper expression of the vaccine. Furthermore, to confirm that the multi-epitope vaccine created is protective and immunogenic, this research requires experimental validation.
Insights
A novel multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) was designed to combat Mycoplasma pneumoniae respiratory infections. This MEV targets key proteins, enhancing immunogenicity and predicting a strong immune response against M. pneumoniae.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Vaccinology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes widespread respiratory infections globally.
- Current treatment options are limited, and no specific vaccine exists for M. pneumoniae.
- Developing an effective vaccine is crucial for disease prevention and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) targeting the top five highly antigenic proteins of M. pneumoniae.
- To utilize immunological techniques and molecular docking for vaccine design.
- To predict and select conserved epitopes for optimal immunogenicity.
Main Methods:
- In silico prediction of T-cell (HTL & CTL), B-cell, and IFN-γ epitopes from M. pneumoniae proteins.
- Epitope selection based on high conservancy and immunogenic potential.
- Construction of the MEV by linking selected epitopes with specific linkers and an adjuvant (Cholera enterotoxin subunit B).
- Evaluation of vaccine construct's physicochemical properties, allergenicity, and antigenicity.
- Molecular docking with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and in silico cloning for validation.
Main Results:
- A 395-amino acid MEV construct was designed, incorporating selected epitopes and an adjuvant.
- The designed epitopes suggest optimization for both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses.
- In silico analyses indicated favorable physicochemical properties, non-allergenicity, and antigenicity.
- Molecular docking confirmed compatibility with TLR4, and in silico cloning suggested proper expression.
Conclusions:
- The designed MEV shows promise as a potential vaccine candidate against Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
- Further experimental validation is required to confirm the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the MEV.
- This study provides a computational framework for developing MEVs against bacterial respiratory pathogens.
