An immunoinformatic investigation on Rift Valley fever virus protein reveals possible epitopes for vaccines

This immunoinformatic study identified potential epitopes from the envelopment polyprotein (Gn/Gc) of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a pathogenic virus causing severe fever in humans and livestock. Effective vaccination is crucial for controlling RVFV outbreaks. The identification of suitable epitopes is crucial for the development of safe and effective vaccines.

Protein sequences were obtained from the UniProt database, and evaluated through VaxiJen v2.0 to predict the B and T-cell epitopes within the RVFV glycoprotein. Gn/Gc protein sequences were analyzed with bioinformatics tools and algorithms. The predicted T-cell and B-cell epitopes were evaluated for antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity by the VaxiJen v2.0 system, AllerTop v2.0, and ToxinPred server, respectively.

We employed computational methods to screen the RVFV envelopment polyprotein encompassing N-terminal and C-terminal glycoprotein segments, to discover antigenic T- and B-cell epitopes. Our analysis unveiled multiple potential epitopes within the RVFV glycoprotein, specifically within the Gn/Gc protein sequences. Subsequently, we selected eleven cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and four helper T-lymphocytes (HTL) for population coverage analysis, which collectively extended to cover 97.04% of the world's population, representing diverse ethnicities and regions. Notably, the CTL epitope VQADLTLMF exhibited binding affinity to numerous human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. The identification of glycoprotein (Gn/Gc) epitopes through this immunoinformatic study bears significant implications for advancing the development of an effective RVFV vaccine.

These findings provide valuable insights into the immunological aspects of the disease and may contribute towards the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapies targeting other RNA viruses with similar polymerase enzymes.