Immunoinformatics-Based Design of a Multiple-Epitope Vaccine Against IHNV

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a significant viral pathogen that affects salmonids, leading to high mortality and substantial economic losses in aquaculture. The current vaccine strategies focus on use of DNA and inactivated vaccines. However, these strategies face limitations concerning biosafety and efficacy. Therefore, in this work, we employed an approach based on the immunoinformatic platform to develop a multi-epitope vaccine against IHNV. For that purpose, we analyzed the glycoprotein of IHNV and identified highly antigenic and non-allergenic cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and B-cell epitopes. The different epitopes were assembled with rational linkers, and the N-terminal flagellin FliC adjuvant was added to enhance immunogenicity. The designed vaccine showed favorable physicochemical properties and high structural stability, which was validated through modeling and refinement. Moreover, the molecular docking of the designed vaccine with toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) and molecular dynamics simulation revealed stable and strong interactions between the vaccine and TLR5, demonstrating that the designed vaccine can activate innate immunity. Furthermore, in silico immune simulations demonstrate a robust humoral and cellular immune response following multiple doses. These findings provide a promising framework for the development of a novel, safe, and effective vaccine against the IHNV infection in Atlantic salmon.