In Silico Designed Multi-Epitope Vaccine Based on the Conserved Fragments in Viral Proteins for Broad-Spectrum...

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major viral threat to swine, causing significant economic loss in the global pig farming industry. This virus includes two major genotypes, PRRSV1 and PRRSV2, both characterized by high mutation rates and genetic variability, complicating the development of a universally effective vaccine and disease control. To address this challenge, this study utilizes immunoinformatics tools to identify conserved epitopes and design a multi-epitope vaccine candidate against PRRSV based on reverse vaccinology. The complete sequences of PRRSV-encoded proteins were retrieved worldwide, and the conserved fragments were identified through the alignment of polypeptide sequences. Subsequent screening was conducted to screen epitopes for their potential to be safe and to activate B cells, HTLs (helper T cells), and CTLs (cytotoxic T cells). By conjugating the selected epitopes with distinct adjuvant proteins, three vaccine candidates were designed and termed PRRSV-vaccine (PRRSV-V-1, PRRSV-V-2, and PRRSV-V-3, respectively). Furthermore, systematic evaluations of their physicochemical properties, structural stability, binding with pattern recognition receptors, and induction of the host immune system were performed. PRRSV-V-2 had the most promising physicochemical and structural characteristics, strong binding with toll-like receptors (TLR3 and TLR8), and the most vigorous reactions to host immune responses. As the most promising candidate, the recombinant PRRSV plasmid was in silico designed for expression in Escherichia coli. Our study proposed a novel approach to PRRSV vaccine development against PRRSV, offering a promising strategy for controlling the infection across diverse PRRSV strains in swine. Despite providing significant insights into vaccine design through computational methods, the results of this study remain predictive. So, it is open for the experimental validations of the scientific community to ensure its actual immunological properties, especially the safety and efficacy.