Targeting Yezo Virus Structural Proteins for Multi-Epitope Vaccine Design Using Immunoinformatics Approach

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Yezo virus (YEZV), a tick-borne orthonairovirus endemic in Japan and China, presents significant public health risks.
• YEZV infection causes symptoms including thrombocytopenia, fatigue, fever, and severe neurological complications like meningitis and encephalitis.
• No current treatments or vaccines are available for YEZV infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify potential vaccine targets for YEZV using an immunoinformatics approach.
• To design and evaluate a multi-epitope vaccine construct against YEZV.

Main Methods:

• Structural proteins of YEZV were analyzed to identify T-cell and B-cell epitopes.
• Epitopes were validated, and a multi-epitope vaccine construct was designed, incorporating a 50S ribosomal protein L7/L12 adjuvant.
• The vaccine construct's 3D structure, stability, and binding affinity were assessed using molecular docking, simulation, and dynamics studies.

Main Results:

• Six overlapping epitopes (CTL, HTL, LBL) were selected, achieving 92.29% global population coverage.
• The designed vaccine construct exhibited favorable physiochemical and immunological properties with a binding energy of -78.7 kcal/mol.
• Immune simulation and molecular dynamics studies confirmed the construct's stability and potential to elicit a robust immune response.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-epitope vaccine construct shows potential for protection against Yezo virus.
• Further in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to validate the vaccine's safety and efficacy.