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da Silva OLT, da Silva MK, Rodrigues-Neto JF, Santos Lima JPM, Manzoni V, Akash S, Fulco UL, Bourhia M, Dawoud TM, Nafidi HA, Sitotaw B, Akter S, Oliveira JIN. Advancing molecular modeling and reverse vaccinology in broad-spectrum yellow fever virus vaccine development. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10842. [PMID: 38735993 PMCID: PMC11089047 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60680-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Yellow fever outbreaks are prevalent, particularly in endemic regions. Given the lack of an established treatment for this disease, significant attention has been directed toward managing this arbovirus. In response, we developed a multiepitope vaccine designed to elicit an immune response, utilizing advanced immunoinformatic and molecular modeling techniques. To achieve this, we predicted B- and T-cell epitopes using the sequences from all structural (E, prM, and C) and nonstructural proteins of 196 YFV strains. Through comprehensive analysis, we identified 10 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and 5T-helper (Th) epitopes that exhibited overlap with B-lymphocyte epitopes. These epitopes were further evaluated for their affinity to a wide range of human leukocyte antigen system alleles and were rigorously tested for antigenicity, immunogenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and conservation. These epitopes were linked to an adjuvant ( β -defensin) and to each other using ligands, resulting in a vaccine sequence with appropriate physicochemical properties. The 3D structure of this sequence was created, improved, and quality checked; then it was anchored to the Toll-like receptor. Molecular Dynamics and Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics simulations were employed to enhance the accuracy of docking calculations, with the QM portion of the simulations carried out utilizing the density functional theory formalism. Moreover, the inoculation model was able to provide an optimal codon sequence that was inserted into the pET-28a( +) vector for in silico cloning and could even stimulate highly relevant humoral and cellular immunological responses. Overall, these results suggest that the designed multi-epitope vaccine can serve as prophylaxis against the yellow fever virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohana Leticia Tavares da Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Joao Firmino Rodrigues-Neto
- Multicampi School of Medical Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Caicó, RN, 59300-000, Brazil
| | - Joao Paulo Matos Santos Lima
- Department of Biochemistry, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Manzoni
- Physics Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceio, AL, 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Shopnil Akash
- Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Sukrabad, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, 70000, Laayoune, Morocco
| | - Turki M Dawoud
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hiba-Allah Nafidi
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, 2325, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Baye Sitotaw
- Department of Biology, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
| | - Shahina Akter
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, 59064-741, Brazil.
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da Silva MK, de Aquino JGF, de Oliveira CBS, Rodrigues-Neto JF, Rahman M, Akter S, Fulco UL, Bin Jardan YA, Ibenmoussa S, Oliveira JIN. Computational antigenic insights into the novel NADC-34-like Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) isolate YC-2020. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2024; 271:110754. [PMID: 38613865 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2024.110754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
In this computational study, we advanced the understanding of the antigenic properties of the NADC-34-like isolate of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), named YC-2020, relevant in veterinary pathology. We utilized sequence comparison analyses of the M and N proteins, comparing them with those of NADC34, identifying substantial amino acid homology that allowed us to highlight conserved epitopes and crucial variants. Through the application of Clustal Omega for multiple sequence alignment and platforms like Vaxijen and AllerTOP for predicting antigenic and allergenic potential, our analyses revealed important insights into the conservation and variation of epitopes essential for the development of effective diagnostic tools and vaccines. Our findings, aligned with initial experimental studies, underscore the importance of these epitopes in the development of targeted immunodiagnostic platforms and significantly contribute to the management and control of PRRSV. However, further studies are required to validate the computational predictions of antigenicity for this new viral isolate. This approach underscores the potential of computational models to enable ongoing monitoring and control of PRRSV evolution in swine. While this study provides valuable insights into the antigenic properties of the novel PRRSV isolate YC-2020 through computational analysis, it is important to acknowledge the limitations inherent to in silico predictions, specifically, the absence of laboratory validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Jonas Galileu Ferreira de Aquino
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN 59064-741, Brazil
| | | | | | - Miadur Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North South University, Dhaka 1219, Bangladesh
| | - Shahina Akter
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN 59064-741, Brazil
| | - Yousef A Bin Jardan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samir Ibenmoussa
- Laboratory of Therapeutic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of pharmacy, University of Montpellier, Montpellier 34000 France
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN 59064-741, Brazil.
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da Silva MK, Akash S, de Aquino JGF, Akter S, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. A newly discovered circovirus and its potential impact on human health and disease. Int J Surg 2024; 110:2523-2525. [PMID: 38363986 DOI: 10.1097/js9.0000000000001198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shahina Akter
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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da Silva MK, Campos DMDO, Akash S, Akter S, Yee LC, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. Advances of Reverse Vaccinology for mRNA Vaccine Design against SARS-CoV-2: A Review of Methods and Tools. Viruses 2023; 15:2130. [PMID: 37896907 PMCID: PMC10611333 DOI: 10.3390/v15102130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA vaccines are a new class of vaccine that can induce potent and specific immune responses against various pathogens. However, the design of mRNA vaccines requires the identification and optimization of suitable antigens, which can be challenging and time consuming. Reverse vaccinology is a computational approach that can accelerate the discovery and development of mRNA vaccines by using genomic and proteomic data of the target pathogen. In this article, we review the advances of reverse vaccinology for mRNA vaccine design against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. We describe the steps of reverse vaccinology and compare the in silico tools used by different studies to design mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of reverse vaccinology and suggest future directions for its improvement. We conclude that reverse vaccinology is a promising and powerful approach to designing mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-741, RN, Brazil (D.M.d.O.C.)
| | - Daniel Melo de Oliveira Campos
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-741, RN, Brazil (D.M.d.O.C.)
| | - Shopnil Akash
- Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Sukrabad, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh;
| | - Shahina Akter
- Bangladesh Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh;
| | - Leow Chiuan Yee
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu 11800, Kelantan, Malaysia;
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-741, RN, Brazil (D.M.d.O.C.)
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59064-741, RN, Brazil (D.M.d.O.C.)
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Campos DMDO, Silva MKD, Barbosa ED, Leow CY, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. Exploiting reverse vaccinology approach for the design of a multiepitope subunit vaccine against the major SARS-CoV-2 variants. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 101:107754. [PMID: 36037724 PMCID: PMC9385604 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic, an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), poses a threat to global health because of its high rate of spread and death. Currently, vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of this disease. In the present study, we developed a novel multiepitope vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 containing Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (BA.1) variants. To this end, we performed a robust immunoinformatics approach based on multiple epitopes of the four structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 (S, M, N, and E) from 475 SARS-CoV-2 genomes sequenced from the regions with the highest number of registered cases, namely the United States, India, Brazil, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. To investigate the best immunogenic epitopes for linear B cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and helper T lymphocytes (HTL), we evaluated antigenicity, allergenicity, conservation, immunogenicity, toxicity, human population coverage, IFN-inducing, post-translational modifications, and physicochemical properties. The tertiary structure of a vaccine prototype was predicted, refined, and validated. Through docking experiments, we evaluated its molecular coupling to the key immune receptor Toll-Like Receptor 3 (TLR3). To improve the quality of docking calculations, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations (QM/MM) were used, with the QM part of the simulations performed using the density functional theory formalism (DFT). Cloning and codon optimization were performed for the successful expression of the vaccine in E. coli. Finally, we investigated the immunogenic properties and immune response of our SARS-CoV-2 multiepitope vaccine. The results of the simulations show that administering our prototype three times significantly increases the antibody response and decreases the amount of antigens. The proposed vaccine candidate should therefore be tested in clinical trials for its efficacy in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Melo de Oliveira Campos
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59064-741, Natal/RN, Brazil.
| | - Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59064-741, Natal/RN, Brazil.
| | - Emmanuel Duarte Barbosa
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59064-741, Natal/RN, Brazil.
| | | | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59064-741, Natal/RN, Brazil.
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, 59064-741, Natal/RN, Brazil.
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Salod Z, Mahomed O. Mapping Potential Vaccine Candidates Predicted by VaxiJen for Different Viral Pathogens between 2017-2021-A Scoping Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1785. [PMID: 36366294 PMCID: PMC9695814 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse vaccinology (RV) is a promising alternative to traditional vaccinology. RV focuses on in silico methods to identify antigens or potential vaccine candidates (PVCs) from a pathogen's proteome. Researchers use VaxiJen, the most well-known RV tool, to predict PVCs for various pathogens. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of PVCs predicted by VaxiJen for different viruses between 2017 and 2021 using Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We used the term 'vaxijen' to search PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest One Academic. The protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF). We identified articles on this topic, charted them, and discussed the key findings. The database searches yielded 1033 articles, of which 275 were eligible. Most studies focused on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), published between 2020 and 2021. Only a few articles (8/275; 2.9%) conducted experimental validations to confirm the predictions as vaccine candidates, with 2.2% (6/275) articles mentioning recombinant protein expression. Researchers commonly targeted parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, with the frequently predicted epitopes as PVCs being major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I T cell epitopes WTAGAAAYY, RQIAPGQTG, IAIVMVTIM, and B cell epitope IAPGQTGKIADY, among others. The findings of this review are promising for the development of novel vaccines. We recommend that vaccinologists use these findings as a guide to performing experimental validation for various viruses, with SARS-CoV-2 as a priority, because better vaccines are needed, especially to stay ahead of the emergence of new variants. If successful, these vaccines could provide broader protection than traditional vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakia Salod
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4051, South Africa
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da Silva MK, Azevedo AAC, Campos DMDO, de Souto JT, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. Computational vaccinology guided design of multi-epitope subunit vaccine against a neglected arbovirus of the Americas. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:3321-3338. [PMID: 35285772 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2050301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an arbovirus found in the Americas that can cause debilitating arthritogenic disease. Although it is an emerging virus, the only current approach is vector control, as there are no approved vaccines to prevent MAYV infection nor therapeutics to treat it. In search of an effective vaccine candidate against MAYV, we used immunoinformatics and molecular modeling to attempt to identify promiscuous T-cell epitopes of the nonstructural polyproteins (nsP1, nsP2, nsP3, and nsP4) from 127 MAYV genomes sequenced in the Americas (08 Bolivia, 72 Brazil, 04 French Guiana, 05 Haiti, 20 Peru, 04 Trinidad and Tobago, and 14 Venezuela). For this purpose, consensus sequences of 360 proteins were used to identify short protein sequences that can bind to MHC I class (MHC II). Our analysis revealed 56 potential MHC-I/TCD8+ (29 MHC-II/TCD4+) epitopes, but only 6 (16) TCD8+ (TCD4+) epitopes showed high antigenicity and conservation, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, and excellent population coverage. Finally, classical and quantum mechanical calculations (QM:MM) were used to improve the quality of the docking calculations, with the QM part of the simulations performed using the density functional theory formalism (DFT). These results provide insights for the advancement of diagnostic platforms, vaccine development, and immunotherapeutic interventions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | | | - Janeusa Trindade de Souto
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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