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Santos MR, Toledo LT, Bassi ÊJ, Porto WJN, Bressan GC, Moreira MAS, Chang YF, Silva-Júnior A. Chimeric proteins of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae as vaccine and preclinical model for immunological evaluation. Braz J Microbiol 2024; 55:943-953. [PMID: 38217795 PMCID: PMC10920614 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01240-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) is a primary agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia, a disease that causes significant economic losses to pig farming worldwide. Commercial vaccines induce partial protection, evidencing the need for a new vaccine against M. hyopneumoniae. In our work, three chimeric proteins were constructed, composed of potentially immunogenic domains from M. hyopneumoniae proteins. We designed three chimeric proteins (Q1, Q2, and Q3) based on bioinformatics analysis that identified five potential proteins with immunogenic potential (MHP418, MHP372, MHP199, P97, and MHP0461). The chimeric proteins were inoculated in the murine model to evaluate the immune response. The mice vaccinated with the chimeras presented IgG and IgG1 against proteins of M. hyopneumoniae. There was induction of IgG in mice immunized with Q3 starting from 30 days post-vaccination, and groups Q1 and Q2 showed induction at 45 days. Mice of the group immunized with Q3 showed the production of IgA. In addition, the mice inoculated with chimeric proteins showed a proinflammatory cytokine response; Q1 demonstrated higher levels of TNF, IL-6, IL2, and IL-17. In contrast, animals immunized with Q2 showed an increase in the concentrations of TNF, IL-6, and IL-4, whereas those immunized with Q3 exhibited an increase in the concentrations of TNF, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-4. The results of the present study indicate that these three chimeric proteins can be used in future vaccine trials with swine because of the promising antigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Rebouças Santos
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Teófilo Toledo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ênio José Bassi
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | | | - Gustavo Costa Bressan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Abelardo Silva-Júnior
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil.
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Mirabal B, Andrade BS, Souza SPA, Oliveira IBDS, Melo TS, Barbosa FS, Jaiswal AK, Seyffert N, Portela RW, Soares SDC, Azevedo V, Meyer R, Tiwari S, Castro TLDP. In silico approaches for predicting natural compounds with therapeutic potential and vaccine candidates against Streptococcus equi. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38239063 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2301056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Equine strangles is a prevalent disease that affects the upper respiratory in horses and is caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus equi. In addition to strangles, other clinical conditions are caused by the two S. equi subspecies, equi and zooepidemicus, which present relevant zoonotic potential. Treatment of infections caused by S. equi has become challenging due to the worldwide spreading of infected horses and the unavailability of effective therapeutics and vaccines. Penicillin treatment is often recommended, but multidrug resistance issues arised. We explored the whole genome sequence of 18 S. equi isolates to identify candidate proteins to be targeted by natural drug-like compounds or explored as immunogens. We considered only proteins shared among the sequenced strains of subspecies equi and zooepidemicus, absent in the equine host and predicted to be essential and involved in virulence. Of these, 4 proteins with cytoplasmic subcellular location were selected for molecular docking with a library of 5008 compounds, while 6 proteins were proposed as prominent immunogens against S. equi due to their probabilities of behaving as adhesins. The molecular docking analyses revealed the best ten ligands for each of the 4 drug target candidates, and they were ranked according to their binding affinities and the number of hydrogen bonds for complex stability. Finally, the natural 5-ring compound C25H20F3N5O3 excelled in molecular dynamics simulations for the increased stability in the interaction with UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase (MurB). This research paves the way to developing new therapeutics to minimize the impacts caused by S. equi infections.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Mirabal
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Bruno Silva Andrade
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Southwest Bahia, Jequié, Brazil
| | | | | | - Tarcisio Silva Melo
- Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology, State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS), Feira de Santana, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Santos Barbosa
- Postgraduate Program in Chemistry, State University of Southwest Bahia (UESB), Jequié, Brazil
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Nubia Seyffert
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Roberto Meyer
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Thiago Luiz de Paula Castro
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
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3
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Marques PH, Tiwari S, Felice AG, Jaiswal AK, Aburjaile FF, Azevedo V, Silva-Vergara ML, Ferreira-Paim K, Soares SDC, Fonseca FM. Design of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Histoplasma capsulatum through Immunoinformatics Approaches. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:43. [PMID: 38248954 PMCID: PMC10817582 DOI: 10.3390/jof10010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is a widespread systemic disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, prevalent in the Americas. Despite its significant morbidity and mortality rates, no vaccines are currently available. Previously, five vaccine targets and specific epitopes for H. capsulatum were identified. Immunoinformatics has emerged as a novel approach for determining the main immunogenic components of antigens through in silico methods. Therefore, we predicted the main helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes and B-cell epitopes for these targets to create a potential multi-epitope vaccine known as HistoVAC-TSFM. A total of 38 epitopes were found: 23 common to CTL and B-cell responses, 11 linked to HTL and B cells, and 4 previously validated epitopes associated with the B subunit of cholera toxin, a potent adjuvant. In silico evaluations confirmed the stability, non-toxicity, non-allergenicity, and non-homology of these vaccines with the host. Notably, the vaccine exhibited the potential to trigger both innate and adaptive immune responses, likely involving the TLR4 pathway, as supported by 3D modeling and molecular docking. The designed HistoVAC-TSFM appears promising against Histoplasma, with the ability to induce important cytokines, such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL17, and IL6. Future studies could be carried out to test the vaccine's efficacy in in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Marques
- Postgraduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (P.H.M.); (A.K.J.)
- Department of Preventive Veterinary, Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, Brazil;
- Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40170-115, Brazil
| | - Andrei Giacchetto Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Postgraduate Interunits Program in Bioinformatics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; (P.H.M.); (A.K.J.)
| | - Flávia Figueira Aburjaile
- Department of Preventive Veterinary, Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Mario León Silva-Vergara
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-440, Brazil;
| | - Kennio Ferreira-Paim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
| | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38015-050, Brazil; (A.G.F.); (S.d.C.S.)
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Chowdhury ZM, Jamal TB, Ahammad I, Bhattacharjee A, Lamisa AB, Jani JM, Israk MF, Hossain MU, Das KC, Keya CA, Salimullah M. Identification of repurposable drug targets in Mycoplasma pneumoniae using subtractive genomics, molecular docking and dynamics simulation. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21466. [PMID: 38034688 PMCID: PMC10682543 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a significant causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia, causing acute inflammation in the upper and lower respiratory tract as well as extrapulmonary syndromes. In particular, the elderly and infants are at greater risk of developing severe, life-threatening pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae. Yet, the global increase in antimicrobial resistance against antibiotics for the treatment of M. pneumoniae infection highlights the urgent need to explore novel drug targets. To this end, bioinformatics approaches, such as subtractive genomics, can be employed to identify specific metabolic pathways and essential proteins unique to the pathogen that could be potential targets for new drugs. In this study, we implemented a subtractive genomics approach to identify 61 metabolic pathways and 42 essential proteins that are unique to M. pneumoniae. A subsequent screening in the DrugBank database revealed three druggable proteins with similarity to FDA-approved small-molecule drugs, and finally, the compound CHEBI:97093 was identified as a promising novel putative drug target. These findings can provide crucial insights for the development of highly effective drugs that selectively inhibit the pathogen-specific metabolic pathways, leading to better management and treatment of M. pneumoniae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeshan Mahmud Chowdhury
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Tabassum Binte Jamal
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Ishtiaque Ahammad
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Arittra Bhattacharjee
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Anika Bushra Lamisa
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Jannatul Maoa Jani
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
| | - Md Fahim Israk
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, 8100, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Uzzal Hossain
- Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Keshob Chandra Das
- Molecular Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Chaman Ara Keya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh
| | - Md Salimullah
- Molecular Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1349, Bangladesh
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Marriam S, Afghan MS, Nadeem M, Sajid M, Ahsan M, Basit A, Wajid M, Sabri S, Sajid M, Zafar I, Rashid S, Sehgal SA, Alkhalifah DHM, Hozzein WN, Chen KT, Sharma R. Elucidation of novel compounds and epitope-based peptide vaccine design against C30 endopeptidase regions of SARS-CoV-2 using immunoinformatics approaches. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1134802. [PMID: 37293206 PMCID: PMC10244718 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1134802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been progressive improvement in immunoinformatics approaches for epitope-based peptide design. Computational-based immune-informatics approaches were applied to identify the epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 to develop vaccines. The accessibility of the SARS-CoV-2 protein surface was analyzed, and hexa-peptide sequences (KTPKYK) were observed having a maximum score of 8.254, located between amino acids 97 and 102, whereas the FSVLAC at amino acids 112 to 117 showed the lowest score of 0.114. The surface flexibility of the target protein ranged from 0.864 to 1.099 having amino acid ranges of 159 to 165 and 118 to 124, respectively, harboring the FCYMHHM and YNGSPSG hepta-peptide sequences. The surface flexibility was predicted, and a 0.864 score was observed from amino acids 159 to 165 with the hepta-peptide (FCYMHHM) sequence. Moreover, the highest score of 1.099 was observed between amino acids 118 and 124 against YNGSPSG. B-cell epitopes and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were also identified against SARS-CoV-2. In molecular docking analyses, -0.54 to -26.21 kcal/mol global energy was observed against the selected CTL epitopes, exhibiting binding solid energies of -3.33 to -26.36 kcal/mol. Based on optimization, eight epitopes (SEDMLNPNY, GSVGFNIDY, LLEDEFTPF, DYDCVSFCY, GTDLEGNFY, QTFSVLACY, TVNVLAWLY, and TANPKTPKY) showed reliable findings. The study calculated the associated HLA alleles with MHC-I and MHC-II and found that MHC-I epitopes had higher population coverage (0.9019% and 0.5639%) than MHC-II epitopes, which ranged from 58.49% to 34.71% in Italy and China, respectively. The CTL epitopes were docked with antigenic sites and analyzed with MHC-I HLA protein. In addition, virtual screening was conducted using the ZINC database library, which contained 3,447 compounds. The 10 top-ranked scrutinized molecules (ZINC222731806, ZINC077293241, ZINC014880001, ZINC003830427, ZINC030731133, ZINC003932831, ZINC003816514, ZINC004245650, ZINC000057255, and ZINC011592639) exhibited the least binding energy (-8.8 to -7.5 kcal/mol). The molecular dynamics (MD) and immune simulation data suggest that these epitopes could be used to design an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the form of a peptide-based vaccine. Our identified CTL epitopes have the potential to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saigha Marriam
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sher Afghan
- Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), District Headquarter (DHQ) Teaching Hospital Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Mazhar Nadeem
- Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT), District Headquarter (DHQ) Teaching Hospital Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sajid
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ahsan
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Basit
- Department of Microbiology, University of Jhang, Jhang, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Wajid
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Sabeen Sabri
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sajid
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
| | - Imran Zafar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Virtual University, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Summya Rashid
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sheikh Arslan Sehgal
- Department of Bioinformatics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Dalal Hussien M Alkhalifah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wael N Hozzein
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Kow-Tong Chen
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Tainan Municipal Hospital (managed by ShowChwan Medical Care Corporation), Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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Sahu A, Gaur M, Mahanandia NC, Subudhi E, Swain RP, Subudhi BB. Identification of core therapeutic targets for Monkeypox virus and repurposing potential of drugs against them: An in silico approach. Comput Biol Med 2023; 161:106971. [PMID: 37211001 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Monkeypox virus (mpox virus) outbreak has rapidly spread to 82 non-endemic countries. Although it primarily causes skin lesions, secondary complications and high mortality (1-10%) in vulnerable populations have made it an emerging threat. Since there is no specific vaccine/antiviral, it is desirable to repurpose existing drugs against mpox virus. With little knowledge about the lifecycle of mpox virus, identifying potential inhibitors is a challenge. Nevertheless, the available genomes of mpox virus in public databases represent a goldmine of untapped possibilities to identify druggable targets for the structure-based identification of inhibitors. Leveraging this resource, we combined genomics and subtractive proteomics to identify highly druggable core proteins of mpox virus. This was followed by virtual screening to identify inhibitors with affinities for multiple targets. 125 publicly available genomes of mpox virus were mined to identify 69 highly conserved proteins. These proteins were then curated manually. These curated proteins were funnelled through a subtractive proteomics pipeline to identify 4 highly druggable, non-host homologous targets namely; A20R, I7L, Top1B and VETFS. High-throughput virtual screening of 5893 highly curated approved/investigational drugs led to the identification of common as well as unique potential inhibitors with high binding affinities. The common inhibitors, i.e., batefenterol, burixafor and eluxadoline were further validated by molecular dynamics simulation to identify their best potential binding modes. The affinity of these inhibitors suggests their repurposing potential. This work can encourage further experimental validation for possible therapeutic management of mpox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Sahu
- Drug Development and Analysis Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, 751030, India
| | - Mahendra Gaur
- Drug Development and Analysis Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, 751030, India; Department of Biotechnology, Punjabi University, Patiala, 147002, India
| | - Nimai Charan Mahanandia
- Division of Agricultural Bioinformatics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Enketeswara Subudhi
- Centre for Biotechnology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, 751030, India
| | - Ranjit Prasad Swain
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, 751030, India
| | - Bharat Bhusan Subudhi
- Drug Development and Analysis Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, 751030, India.
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Comparative Genomics of Histoplasma capsulatum and Prediction of New Vaccines and Drug Targets. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020193. [PMID: 36836308 PMCID: PMC9963733 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermodymorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis that presents different clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting to acute lung infection, chronic lung infection and disseminated infection. Usually, it affects severely immunocompromised patients although immunocompetent patients can also be infected. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent histoplasmosis and the available antifungal treatment presents moderate to high toxicity. Additionally, there are few options of antifungal drugs. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict possible protein targets for the construction of potential vaccine candidates and predict potential drug targets against H. capsulatum. Whole genome sequences from four previously published H. capsulatum strains were analyzed and submitted to different bioinformatic approaches such as reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. A total of four proteins were characterized as good protein candidates (vaccine antigens) for vaccine development, three of which are membrane-bound and one is secreted. In addition, it was possible to predict four cytoplasmic proteins which were classified as good protein candidates and, through molecular docking performed for each identified target, we found four natural compounds that showed favorable interactions with our target proteins. Our study can help in the development of potential vaccines and new drugs that can change the current scenario of the treatment and prevention of histoplasmosis.
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Prado LCDS, Giacchetto Felice A, Rodrigues TCV, Tiwari S, Andrade BS, Kato RB, Oliveira CJF, Silva MV, Barh D, Azevedo VADC, Jaiswal AK, Soares SDC. New putative therapeutic targets against Serratia marcescens using reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10106-10121. [PMID: 34192477 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1942211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacillus Serratia marcescens, a member of Enterobacteriaceae family, is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen commonly found in hospital outbreaks that can cause infections in the urinary tract, bloodstream, central nervous system and pneumonia. Because S. marcescens strains are resistant to several antibiotics, it is critical the need for effective treatments, including new drugs and vaccines. Here, we applied reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomic approaches for the in silico prediction of potential vaccine and drug targets against 59 strains of S. marcescens. We found 759 core non-host homologous proteins, of which 87 are putative surface-exposed proteins, 183 secreted proteins, and 80 membrane proteins. From these proteins, we predicted seven candidates vaccine targets: a sn-glycerol-3-phosphate-binding periplasmic protein UgpB, a vitamin B12 TonB-dependent receptor, a ferrichrome porin FhuA, a divisome-associated lipoprotein YraP, a membrane-bound lytic murein transglycosylase A, a peptidoglycan lytic exotransglycosylase, and a DUF481 domain-containing protein. We also predicted two drug targets: a N(4)-acetylcytidine amidohydrolase, and a DUF1428 family protein. Using the molecular docking approach for each drug target, we identified and selected ZINC04259491 and ZINC04235390 molecules as the most favorable interactions with the target active site residues. Our findings may contribute to the development of vaccines and new drug targets against S. marcescens. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligia Carolina da Silva Prado
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Andrei Giacchetto Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Thaís Cristina Vilela Rodrigues
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Bruno Silva Andrade
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Chemistry, State University of Southwest of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Bentes Kato
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo José Freire Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinicius Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology, Nonakuri, West Bengal, India
| | - Vasco Ariston de Carvalho Azevedo
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Inter-unit Post-Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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Felice AG, Santos LNQ, Kolossowski I, Zen FL, Alves LG, Rodrigues TCV, Prado LCS, Jaiswal AK, Tiwari S, Miranda FM, Ramos RTJ, Azevedo V, Oliveira CJF, Benevides LJ, Soares SC. Comparative genomics of Bordetella pertussis and prediction of new vaccines and drug targets. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:10136-10152. [PMID: 34155952 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1940279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, a Gram-negative bacterium described over a century ago. Despite broad vaccine coverage and treatment options, the disease is remerging as a public health problem especially in infants and older children. Recent data indicate re-emergence of the disease is related to bacterial resistance to immune defences and decreased vaccine effectiveness, which obviously suggests the need of new effective vaccines and drugs. In an attempt to contribute with solutions to this great challenge, bioinformatics tools were used to genetically comprehend the species of these bacteria and predict new vaccines and drug targets. In fact, approaches were used to analysis genomic plasticity, gene synteny and species similarities between the 20 genomes of Bordetella pertussis already available. Furthermore, it was conducted reverse vaccinology and docking analysis to identify proteins with potential to become vaccine and drug targets, respectively. The analyses showed the 20 genomes belongs to a homogeneous group that has preserved most of the genes over time. Besides that, were found genomics islands and good proteins to be candidates for vaccine and drugs. Taken together, these results suggests new possibilities that may be useful to develop new vaccines and drugs that will help the prevention and treatment strategies of pertussis disease caused by these Bordetella strains. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei G Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Leonardo N Q Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Ian Kolossowski
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Felipe L Zen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Leandro G Alves
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thaís C V Rodrigues
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ligia C S Prado
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Arun K Jaiswal
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fábio M Miranda
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rommel T J Ramos
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Carlo J F Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Leandro J Benevides
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar C Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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10
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Mushtaq M, Khan S, Hassan M, Al-Harbi AI, Hameed AR, Khan K, Ismail S, Irfan M, Ahmad S. Computational Design of a Chimeric Vaccine against Plesiomonas shigelloides Using Pan-Genome and Reverse Vaccinology. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1886. [PMID: 36366394 PMCID: PMC9697808 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The swift emergence of antibiotic resistance (AR) in bacterial pathogens to make themselves adaptable to changing environments has become an alarming health issue. To prevent AR infection, many ways can be accomplished such as by decreasing the misuse of antibiotics in human and animal medicine. Among these AR bacterial species, Plesiomonas shigelloides is one of the etiological agents of intestinal infection in humans. It is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that is highly resistant to several classes of antibiotics, and no licensed vaccine against the aforementioned pathogen is available. Hence, substantial efforts are required to screen protective antigens from the pathogen whole genome that can be subjected easily to experimental evaluations. Here, we employed a reverse vaccinology (RV) approach to design a multi-antigenic epitopes based vaccine against P. shigelloides. The complete genomes of P. shigelloides were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI) that on average consist of 5226 proteins. The complete proteomes were subjected to different subtractive proteomics filters, and in the results of that analysis, out of total proteins, 2399 were revealed as non-redundant and 2827 as redundant proteins. The non-redundant proteins were further checked for subcellular localization analysis, in which three were localized in the extracellular matrix, eight were outer membrane, and 13 were found in the periplasmic membrane. All surface localized proteins were found to be virulent. Out of a total of 24 virulent proteins, three proteins (flagellar hook protein (FlgE), hypothetical protein, and TonB-dependent hemoglobin/transferrin/lactoferrin family receptor protein) were considered as potential vaccine targets and subjected to epitopes prediction. The predicted epitopes were further examined for antigenicity, toxicity, and solubility. A total of 10 epitopes were selected (GFKESRAEF, VQVPTEAGQ, KINENGVVV, ENKALSQET, QGYASANDE, RLNPTDSRW, TLDYRLNPT, RVTKKQSDK, GEREGKNRP, RDKKTNQPL). The selected epitopes were linked with each other via specific GPGPG linkers in order to design a multi-epitopes vaccine construct, and linked with cholera toxin B subunit adjuvant to make the designed vaccine construct more efficient in terms of antigenicity. The 3D structure of the vaccine construct was modeled ab initio as no appropriate template was available. Furthermore, molecular docking was carried out to check the interaction affinity of the designed vaccine with major histocompatibility complex (MHC-)I (PDB ID: 1L1Y), MHC-II (1KG0), and toll-like receptor 4 ((TLR-4) (PDB: 4G8A). Molecular dynamic simulation was applied to evaluate the dynamic behavior of vaccine-receptor complexes. Lastly, the binding free energies of the vaccine with receptors were estimated by using MMPB/GBSA methods. All of the aforementioned analyses concluded that the designed vaccine molecule as a good candidate to be used in experimental studies to disclose its immune protective efficacy in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnoor Mushtaq
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Saifullah Khan
- Institute of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda 24461, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Hassan
- Department of Pharmacy, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda 24461, Pakistan
| | - Alhanouf I. Al-Harbi
- Department of Medical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Yanbu 46411, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa R. Hameed
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, School of Life Sciences, Dijlah University College, Baghdad 59058, Iraq
| | | | - Saba Ismail
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
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11
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Marques PH, Prado LCDS, Felice AG, Rodrigues TCV, Pereira UDP, Jaiswal AK, Azevedo V, Oliveira CJF, Soares S. Insights into the Vibrio Genus: A One Health Perspective from Host Adaptability and Antibiotic Resistance to In Silico Identification of Drug Targets. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1399. [PMID: 36290057 PMCID: PMC9598498 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Vibrio comprises an important group of ubiquitous bacteria of marine systems with a high infectious capacity for humans and fish, which can lead to death or cause economic losses in aquaculture. However, little is known about the evolutionary process that led to the adaptation and colonization of humans and also about the consequences of the uncontrollable use of antibiotics in aquaculture. Here, comparative genomics analysis and functional gene annotation showed that the species more related to humans presented a significantly higher amount of proteins associated with colonization processes, such as transcriptional factors, signal transduction mechanisms, and iron uptake. In comparison, those aquaculture-associated species possess a much higher amount of resistance-associated genes, as with those of the tetracycline class. Finally, through subtractive genomics, we propose seven new drug targets such as: UMP Kinase, required to catalyze the phosphorylation of UMP into UDP, essential for the survival of bacteria of this genus; and, new natural molecules, which have demonstrated high affinity for the active sites of these targets. These data also suggest that the species most adaptable to fish and humans have a distinct natural evolution and probably undergo changes due to anthropogenic action in aquaculture or indiscriminate/irregular use of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Marques
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | - Lígia Carolina da Silva Prado
- Interunit Bioinformatics Post-Graduate Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Andrei Giacchetto Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Ulisses de Padua Pereira
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, PR, Brazil
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Interunit Bioinformatics Post-Graduate Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo José Freire Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38025-180, MG, Brazil
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12
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Subtractive genomics profiling for potential drug targets identification against Moraxella catarrhalis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273252. [PMID: 36006987 PMCID: PMC9409589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Moraxella catarrhalis (M. catarrhalis) is a gram-negative bacterium, responsible for major respiratory tract and middle ear infection in infants and adults. The recent emergence of the antibiotic resistance M. catarrhalis demands the prioritization of an effective drug target as a top priority. Fortunately, the failure of new drugs and host toxicity associated with traditional drug development approaches can be avoided by using an in silico subtractive genomics approach. In the current study, the advanced in silico genome subtraction approach was applied to identify potential and pathogen-specific drug targets against M. catarrhalis. We applied a series of subtraction methods from the whole genome of pathogen based on certain steps i.e. paralogous protein that have extensive homology with humans, essential, drug like, non-virulent, and resistant proteins. Only 38 potent drug targets were identified in this study. Eventually, one protein was identified as a potential new drug target and forwarded to the structure-based studies i.e. histidine kinase (UniProt ID: D5VAF6). Furthermore, virtual screening of 2000 compounds from the ZINC database was performed against the histidine kinase that resulted in the shortlisting of three compounds as the potential therapeutic candidates based on their binding energies and the properties exhibited using ADMET analysis. The identified protein gives a platform for the discovery of a lead drug candidate that may inhibit it and may help to eradicate the otitis media caused by drug-resistant M. catarrhalis. Nevertheless, the current study helped in creating a pipeline for drug target identification that may assist wet-lab research in the future.
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13
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Naorem RS, Pangabam BD, Bora SS, Goswami G, Barooah M, Hazarika DJ, Fekete C. Identification of Putative Vaccine and Drug Targets against the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Reverse Vaccinology and Subtractive Genomics Approaches. Molecules 2022; 27:2083. [PMID: 35408485 PMCID: PMC9000511 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an opportunistic pathogen and responsible for causing life-threatening infections. The emergence of hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. aureus strains led to challenging issues in antibiotic therapy. Consequently, the morbidity and mortality rates caused by S. aureus infections have a substantial impact on health concerns. The current worldwide prevalence of MRSA infections highlights the need for long-lasting preventive measures and strategies. Unfortunately, effective measures are limited. In this study, we focus on the identification of vaccine candidates and drug target proteins against the 16 strains of MRSA using reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics approaches. Using the reverse vaccinology approach, 4 putative antigenic proteins were identified; among these, PrsA and EssA proteins were found to be more promising vaccine candidates. We applied a molecular docking approach of selected 8 drug target proteins with the drug-like molecules, revealing that the ZINC4235426 as potential drug molecule with favorable interactions with the target active site residues of 5 drug target proteins viz., biotin protein ligase, HPr kinase/phosphorylase, thymidylate kinase, UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanyl-D-glutamate-L-lysine ligase, and pantothenate synthetase. Thus, the identified proteins can be used for further rational drug or vaccine design to identify novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of multidrug-resistant staphylococcal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romen Singh Naorem
- Department of General and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Sport Biology, University of Pécs, Ifusag utja. 6, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (R.S.N.); (B.D.P.)
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat 785013, India; (M.B.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Bandana Devi Pangabam
- Department of General and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Sport Biology, University of Pécs, Ifusag utja. 6, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (R.S.N.); (B.D.P.)
| | - Sudipta Sankar Bora
- DBT—North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-AAU Center), Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat 785013, India;
| | - Gunajit Goswami
- Multidisciplinary Research Unit, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, Jorhat 785008, India;
| | - Madhumita Barooah
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat 785013, India; (M.B.); (D.J.H.)
- DBT—North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-AAU Center), Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat 785013, India;
| | - Dibya Jyoti Hazarika
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat 785013, India; (M.B.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Csaba Fekete
- Department of General and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Sport Biology, University of Pécs, Ifusag utja. 6, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (R.S.N.); (B.D.P.)
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Damas MSF, Mazur FG, Freire CCDM, da Cunha AF, Pranchevicius MCDS. A Systematic Immuno-Informatic Approach to Design a Multiepitope-Based Vaccine Against Emerging Multiple Drug Resistant Serratia marcescens. Front Immunol 2022; 13:768569. [PMID: 35371033 PMCID: PMC8967166 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.768569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Serratia marcescens is now an important opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients. Here, we used extensive bioinformatic analyses based on reverse vaccinology and subtractive proteomics-based approach to predict potential vaccine candidates against S. marcescens. We analyzed the complete proteome sequence of 49 isolate of Serratia marcescens and identified 5 that were conserved proteins, non-homologous from human and gut flora, extracellular or exported to the outer membrane, and antigenic. The identified proteins were used to select 5 CTL, 12 HTL, and 12 BCL epitopes antigenic, non-allergenic, conserved, hydrophilic, and non-toxic. In addition, HTL epitopes were able to induce interferon-gamma immune response. The selected peptides were used to design 4 multi-epitope vaccines constructs (SMV1, SMV2, SMV3 and SMV4) with immune-modulating adjuvants, PADRE sequence, and linkers. Peptide cleavage analysis showed that antigen vaccines are processed and presented via of MHC class molecule. Several physiochemical and immunological analyses revealed that all multiepitope vaccines were non-allergenic, stable, hydrophilic, and soluble and induced the immunity with high antigenicity. The secondary structure analysis revealed the designed vaccines contain mainly coil structure and alpha helix structures. 3D analyses showed high-quality structure. Molecular docking analyses revealed SMV4 as the best vaccine construct among the four constructed vaccines, demonstrating high affinity with the immune receptor. Molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the low deformability and stability of the vaccine candidate. Discontinuous epitope residues analyses of SMV4 revealed that they are flexible and can interact with antibodies. In silico immune simulation indicated that the designed SMV4 vaccine triggers an effective immune response. In silico codon optimization and cloning in expression vector indicate that SMV4 vaccine can be efficiently expressed in E. coli system. Overall, we showed that SMV4 multi-epitope vaccine successfully elicited antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses and may be a potential vaccine candidate against S. marcescens. Further experimental validations could confirm its exact efficacy, the safety and immunogenicity profile. Our findings bring a valuable addition to the development of new strategies to prevent and control the spread of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria with high clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando Gabriel Mazur
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria-Cristina da Silva Pranchevicius
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Biodiversidade Tropical – BIOTROP, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
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15
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Michalik M, Djahanschiri B, Leo JC, Linke D. An Update on "Reverse Vaccinology": The Pathway from Genomes and Epitope Predictions to Tailored, Recombinant Vaccines. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2412:45-71. [PMID: 34918241 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1892-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, we review the computational approaches that have led to a new generation of vaccines in recent years. There are many alternative routes to develop vaccines based on the concept of reverse vaccinology. They all follow the same basic principles-mining available genome and proteome information for antigen candidates, and recombinantly expressing them for vaccine production. Some of the same principles have been used successfully for cancer therapy approaches. In this review, we focus on infectious diseases, describing the general workflow from bioinformatic predictions of antigens and epitopes down to examples where such predictions have been used successfully for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bardya Djahanschiri
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jack C Leo
- Department of Biosciences, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dirk Linke
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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16
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Sharma D, Sharma A, Singh B, Kumar S, Verma S. Neglected scrub typhus: An updated review with a focus on omics technologies. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/1995-7645.364003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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17
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Vilela Rodrigues TC, Jaiswal AK, Lemes MR, da Silva MV, Sales-Campos H, Alcântara LCJ, Tosta SFDO, Kato RB, Alzahrani KJ, Barh D, Azevedo VADC, Tiwari S, Soares SDC. An immunoinformatics-based designed multi-epitope candidate vaccine (mpme-VAC/STV-1) against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Comput Biol Med 2021; 142:105194. [PMID: 35007945 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.105194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Pneumonia is a serious global health problem that accounts for over one million deaths annually. Among the main microorganisms causing pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common ones for which a vaccine is immediately required. In this context, a multi-epitope vaccine against this pathogen could be the best option that can induce effective immune response avoiding any serious adverse reactions. In this study, using an immunoinformatics approach we have designed a multi-epitope vaccine (mpme-VAC/STV-1) against M. pneumoniae. Our designed mpme-VAC/STV-1 is constructed using CTL (cytotoxic T lymphocyte), HTL (Helper T lymphocyte), and B-cell epitopes. These epitopes are selected from the core proteins of 88 M. pneumoniae genomes that were previously identified through reverse vaccinology approaches. The epitopes were filtered according to their immunogenicity, population coverage, and several other criteria. Sixteen CTL/B- and thirteen HTL/B- epitopes that belong to 5 core proteins were combined together through peptide linkers to develop the mpme-VAC/STV-1. The heat-labile enterotoxin from E. coli was used as an adjuvant. The designed mpme-VAC/STV-1 is predicted to be stable, non-toxic, non-allergenic, non-host homologous, and with required antigenic and immunogenic properties. Docking and molecular dynamic simulation of mpme-VAC/STV-1 shows that it can stimulate TLR2 pathway mediated immunogenic reactions. In silico cloning of mpme-VAC/STV-1 in an expression vector also shows positive results. Finally, the mpme-VAC/STV-1 also shows promising efficacy in immune simulation tests. Therefore, our constructed mpme-VAC/STV-1 could be a safe and effective multi-epitope vaccine for immunization against pneumonia. However, it requires further experimental and clinical validations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Cristina Vilela Rodrigues
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcela Rezende Lemes
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Science and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinícius da Silva
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Science and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, 38025-180, MG, Brazil
| | - Helioswilton Sales-Campos
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goias (UFG), Goiânia, 74605-050, GO, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Sthephane Fraga de Oliveira Tosta
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Bentes Kato
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Khalid J Alzahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, 721172, India
| | - Vasco Ariston de Carvalho Azevedo
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Programa PG Em Bioinformática, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Science and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, 38025-180, MG, Brazil.
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18
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Jalal K, Khan K, Hassam M, Abbas MN, Uddin R, Khusro A, Sahibzada MUK, Gajdács M. Identification of a Novel Therapeutic Target against XDR Salmonella Typhi H58 Using Genomics Driven Approach Followed Up by Natural Products Virtual Screening. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2512. [PMID: 34946114 PMCID: PMC8708826 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Typhoid fever is caused by a pathogenic, rod-shaped, flagellated, and Gram-negative bacterium known as Salmonella Typhi. It features a polysaccharide capsule that acts as a virulence factor and deceives the host immune system by protecting phagocytosis. Typhoid fever remains a major health concern in low and middle-income countries, with an estimated death rate of ~200,000 per annum. However, the situation is exacerbated by the emergence of the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strain designated as H58 of S. Typhi. The emergence of the XDR strain is alarming, and it poses serious threats to public health due to the failure of the current therapeutic regimen. A relatively newer computational method called subtractive genomics analyses has been widely applied to discover novel and new drug targets against pathogens, particularly drug-resistant ones. The method involves the gradual reduction of the complete proteome of the pathogen, leading to few potential and novel drug targets. Thus, in the current study, a subtractive genomics approach was applied against the Salmonella XDR strain to identify potential drug targets. The current study predicted four prioritized proteins (i.e., Colanic acid biosynthesis acetyltransferase wcaB, Shikimate dehydrogenase aroE, multidrug efflux RND transporter permease subunit MdtC, and pantothenate synthetase panC) as potential drug targets. Though few of the prioritized proteins are treated in the literature as the established drug targets against other pathogenic bacteria, these drug targets are identified here for the first time against S. Typhi (i.e., S. Typhi XDR). The current study aimed at drawing attention to new drug targets against S. Typhi that remain largely unexplored. One of the prioritized drug targets, i.e., Colanic acid biosynthesis acetyltransferase, was predicted as a unique, new drug target against S. Typhi XDR. Therefore, the Colanic acid was further explored using structure-based techniques. Additionally, ~1000 natural compounds were docked with Colanic acid biosynthesis acetyltransferase, resulting in the prediction of seven compounds as potential lead candidates against the S. Typhi XDR strain. The ADMET properties and binding energies via the docking program of these seven compounds characterized them as novel drug candidates. They may potentially be used for the development of future drugs in the treatment of Typhoid fever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khurshid Jalal
- International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Kanwal Khan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan; (K.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Muhammad Hassam
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan; (K.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Muhammad Naseer Abbas
- Department of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan;
| | - Reaz Uddin
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan; (K.K.); (M.H.)
| | - Ameer Khusro
- Research Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Loyola College, Chennai 600034, India;
| | | | - Márió Gajdács
- Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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19
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Mohammadzadeh R, Soleimanpour S, Pishdadian A, Farsiani H. Designing and development of epitope-based vaccines against Helicobacter pylori. Crit Rev Microbiol 2021; 48:489-512. [PMID: 34559599 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2021.1979934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori infection is the principal cause of serious diseases (e.g. gastric cancer and peptic ulcers). Antibiotic therapy is an inadequate strategy in H. pylori eradication because of which vaccination is an inevitable approach. Despite the presence of countless vaccine candidates, current vaccines in clinical trials have performed with poor efficacy which makes vaccination extremely challenging. Remarkable advancements in immunology and pathogenic biology have provided an appropriate opportunity to develop various epitope-based vaccines. The fusion of proper antigens involved in different aspects of H. pylori colonization and pathogenesis as well as peptide linkers and built-in adjuvants results in producing epitope-based vaccines with excellent therapeutic efficacy and negligible adverse effects. Difficulties of the in vitro culture of H. pylori, high genetic variation, and unfavourable immune responses against feeble epitopes in the complete antigen are major drawbacks of current vaccine strategies that epitope-based vaccines may overcome. Besides decreasing the biohazard risk, designing precise formulations, saving time and cost, and induction of maximum immunity with minimum adverse effects are the advantages of epitope-based vaccines. The present article is a comprehensive review of strategies for designing and developing epitope-based vaccines to provide insights into the innovative vaccination against H. pylori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roghayeh Mohammadzadeh
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Saman Soleimanpour
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Reference Tuberculosis Laboratory, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Abbas Pishdadian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Hadi Farsiani
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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20
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Noori Goodarzi N, Bolourchi N, Fereshteh S, Badmasti F. Introduction of novel putative immunogenic targets against Proteus mirabilis using a reverse vaccinology approach. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 95:105045. [PMID: 34428568 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Multi-drug resistance of Proteus mirabilis, a frequent cause of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, renders ineffective treatment. Therefore, new advanced strategies are needed to overcome it. In the meantime, vaccination may be the most effective and promising method. In this study antigenicity, allergenicity, subcellular localization, human homology, B-cell epitopes and MHC-II binding sites, conserved domains and protein-protein interactions were predicted using different reverse vaccinology methods and bioinformatics databases to find new putative immunogenic targets against P. mirabilis. Finally, 5 putative immunogenic targets against P. mirabilis were identified. Considering all criteria, QKQ94350.1 (Cell envelope opacity-associated protein A), QKQ94681.1 (Porin), QKQ95001.1 (TonB-dependent hemoglobin/ transferrin/ lactoferrin family receptor), QKQ95221.1 (AsmA) and QKQ94335.1 (N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase) are excellent putative immunogenic targets. Finally, a multi-epitope vaccine was designed using the conserved linear epitopes of two OMPs (QKQ94681.1 and QKQ95001.1) and N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase (QKQ94335.1), which have promising properties for immunization. These findings can simplify the development of efficient vaccines against P. mirabilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Noori Goodarzi
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negin Bolourchi
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Farzad Badmasti
- Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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21
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Jaiswal AK, Tiwari S, Jamal SB, Oliveira LDC, Sales-Campos H, Andrade-Silva LE, Oliveira CJF, Ghosh P, Barh D, Azevedo V, Soares SC, Rodrigues VR, da Silva MV. Reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics approaches for identifying common therapeutics against Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20200027. [PMID: 33889182 PMCID: PMC8040911 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis are gram-positive bacterial pathogens and the causative agents of leprosy in humans across the world. The elimination of leprosy cannot be achieved by multidrug therapy alone, and highlights the need for new tools and drugs to prevent the emergence of new resistant strains. METHODS In this study, our contribution includes the prediction of vaccine targets and new putative drugs against leprosy, using reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. Six strains of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis (4 and 2 strains, respectively) were used for comparison taking Mycobacterium leprae strain TN as the reference genome. Briefly, we used a combined reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics approach. RESULTS As a result, we identified 12 common putative antigenic proteins as vaccine targets and three common drug targets against Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Furthermore, the docking analysis using 28 natural compounds with three drug targets was done. CONCLUSIONS The bis-naphthoquinone compound Diospyrin (CID 308140) obtained from indigenous plant Diospyros spp. showed the most favored binding affinity against predicted drug targets, which can be a candidate therapeutic target in the future against leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar Jaiswal
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Syed Babar Jamal
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Letícia de Castro Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Helioswilton Sales-Campos
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goias (UFG), Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Eurípedes Andrade-Silva
- Infectious Disease Department, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo Jose Freire Oliveira
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Preetam Ghosh
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar C. Soares
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Virmondes Rodrigues Rodrigues
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinicius da Silva
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil
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22
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Felice AG, Alves LG, Freitas ASF, Rodrigues TCV, Jaiswal AK, Tiwari S, Gomes LGR, Miranda FM, Ramos RTJ, Azevedo V, Oliveira LC, Oliveira CJ, Soares SDC, Benevides LJ. Pan-genomic analyses of 47 complete genomes of the Rickettsia genus and prediction of new vaccine targets and virulence factors of the species. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:7496-7510. [PMID: 33719856 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1898473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The genus Rickettsia belongs to the Proteobacteria phylum and these bacteria infect animals and humans causing a range of diseases worldwide. The genus is divided into 4 groups and despite the public health threat and the knowledge accumulated so far, the mandatory intracellular bacteria behaviour and limitation for in vitro culture makes it difficult to create new vaccines and drug targets to these bacteria. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, pan-genomic approaches has used 47 genomes of the genus Rickettsia, in order to describe species similarities and genomics islands. Moreover, we conducted reverse vaccinology and docking analysis aiming the identification of proteins that have great potential to become vaccine and drug targets. We found out that the bacteria of the four Rickettsia groups have a high similarity with each other, with about 90 to 100% of identity. A pathogenicity island and a resistance island were predicted. In addition, 8 proteins were also predicted as strong candidates for vaccine and 9 as candidates for drug targets. The prediction of the proteins leads us to believe in a possibility of prospecting potential drugs or creating a polyvalent vaccine, which could reach most strains of this large group of bacteria.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei G Felice
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Leandro G Alves
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Alissa S F Freitas
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Thaís C V Rodrigues
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Arun K Jaiswal
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Lucas G R Gomes
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fábio M Miranda
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rommel T J Ramos
- Department of General Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Letícia C Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlo J Oliveira
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Siomar D C Soares
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Leandro J Benevides
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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23
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Mahmood M, Javaid A, Shahid F, Ashfaq UA. Rational design of multimeric based subunit vaccine against Mycoplasma pneumonia: Subtractive proteomics with immunoinformatics framework. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 91:104795. [PMID: 33667723 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the prevalent cause of acquired respiratory infections around the globe. A multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) must be developed to combat infections of M. pneumoniae because there is no specific disease-modifying treatment or vaccination is present. The objective of this research is to design a vaccine that targets M. pneumoniae top five highly antigenic proteins using a combination of immunological techniques and molecular docking. T-cell (HTL & CTL), B-cell, and IFN-γ of target proteins were forecasted and highly conservative epitopes were chosen for further study. For designing of final vaccine, 4LBL, 7CTL, and 5HTL epitopes were joined by linkers of KK, AAY, and GPGPG. The N-end of the vaccine was linked to an adjuvant (Cholera enterotoxin subunit B) with a linker named EAAAK to enhance immunogenicity. After the addition of adjuvants and linkers, the size of the construct was 395 amino acids. The epitopes of IFN-γ and B-cells illustrate that the model construct is optimized for cell-mediated immune or humoral responses. To ensure that the final design is safer and immunogenic, properties like non-allergens, antigenicity, and various physicochemical properties were evaluated. Molecular docking of the vaccine with the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was conducted to check the compatibility of the vaccine with the receptor. Besides, in-silico cloning was utilized for validation of the credibility and proper expression of the vaccine. Furthermore, to confirm that the multi-epitope vaccine created is protective and immunogenic, this research requires experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvah Mahmood
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anam Javaid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
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24
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Waqas M, Haider A, Rehman A, Qasim M, Umar A, Sufyan M, Akram HN, Mir A, Razzaq R, Rasool D, Tahir RA, Sehgal SA. Immunoinformatics and Molecular Docking Studies Predicted Potential Multiepitope-Based Peptide Vaccine and Novel Compounds against Novel SARS-CoV-2 through Virtual Screening. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:1596834. [PMID: 33728324 PMCID: PMC7910514 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1596834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped positive-strand RNA viruses which have club-like spikes at the surface with a unique replication process. Coronaviruses are categorized as major pathogenic viruses causing a variety of diseases in birds and mammals including humans (lethal respiratory dysfunctions). Nowadays, a new strain of coronaviruses is identified and named as SARS-CoV-2. Multiple cases of SARS-CoV-2 attacks are being reported all over the world. SARS-CoV-2 showed high death rate; however, no specific treatment is available against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS In the current study, immunoinformatics approaches were employed to predict the antigenic epitopes against SARS-CoV-2 for the development of the coronavirus vaccine. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte and B-cell epitopes were predicted for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus protein. Multiple sequence alignment of three genomes (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2) was used to conserved binding domain analysis. RESULTS The docking complexes of 4 CTL epitopes with antigenic sites were analyzed followed by binding affinity and binding interaction analyses of top-ranked predicted peptides with MHC-I HLA molecule. The molecular docking (Food and Drug Regulatory Authority library) was performed, and four compounds exhibiting least binding energy were identified. The designed epitopes lead to the molecular docking against MHC-I, and interactional analyses of the selected docked complexes were investigated. In conclusion, four CTL epitopes (GTDLEGNFY, TVNVLAWLY, GSVGFNIDY, and QTFSVLACY) and four FDA-scrutinized compounds exhibited potential targets as peptide vaccines and potential biomolecules against deadly SARS-CoV-2, respectively. A multiepitope vaccine was also designed from different epitopes of coronavirus proteins joined by linkers and led by an adjuvant. CONCLUSION Our investigations predicted epitopes and the reported molecules that may have the potential to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These findings can be a step towards the development of a peptide-based vaccine or natural compound drug target against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Waqas
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Haider
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Abdur Rehman
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ahitsham Umar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sufyan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Hafiza Nisha Akram
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Asif Mir
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Roha Razzaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Danish Rasool
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Rana Adnan Tahir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University, Sahiwal Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sheikh Arslan Sehgal
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
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25
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Chandela R, Jade D, Mohan S, Sharma R, Sugumar S. Identification of Therapeutic Drug Target of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Through Subtractive Genomic Approach and in-silico Screening Based on 2D Similarity Filtration and Molecular Dynamic Simulation. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2021; 25:123-138. [DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666201123094330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multi-drug resistant, gram-negative
bacterium that causes opportunistic infections and is associated with high morbidity and mortality
in severely immunocompromised individuals.
Aim:
The study aimed to find out the drug target and a novel inhibitor for Stenotrophomonas
maltophilia.
Objectives:
The current study focused on identifying specific drug targets by subtractive genomes
analysis to determine the novel inhibitor for the specified target protein by virtual screening,
molecular docking, and molecular simulation approach.
Materials and Methods:
In this study, we performed a subtractive genomics approach to identify
the novel drug target for S.maltophilia. After obtaining the specific target, the next step was to
identify inhibitors that include calculating 2D similarity search, molecular docking, and molecular
simulation for drug development for S.maltophilia.
Results:
With an efficient subtractive genomic approach, five unique targets as the impressive therapeutics founded out of
4386 protein genes. In which UDP-D-acetylmuramic (murF) was the most remarkable target. Further virtual screening,
docking, and dynamics resulted in the identification of seven novel inhibitors.
Conclusion:
Further, in vitro and in vivo bioassay of the identified novel inhibitors could facilitate effective drug use against
S.maltophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Chandela
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur - 603203, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India
| | - Dhananjay Jade
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067,India
| | - Surender Mohan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067,India
| | - Ridhi Sharma
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur - 603203, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India
| | - Shobana Sugumar
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur - 603203, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India
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26
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Hammond JA, Gordon EA, Socarras KM, Chang Mell J, Ehrlich GD. Beyond the pan-genome: current perspectives on the functional and practical outcomes of the distributed genome hypothesis. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:2437-2455. [PMID: 33245329 PMCID: PMC7752077 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The principle of monoclonality with regard to bacterial infections was considered immutable prior to 30 years ago. This view, espoused by Koch for acute infections, has proven inadequate regarding chronic infections as persistence requires multiple forms of heterogeneity among the bacterial population. This understanding of bacterial plurality emerged from a synthesis of what-were-then novel technologies in molecular biology and imaging science. These technologies demonstrated that bacteria have complex life cycles, polymicrobial ecologies, and evolve in situ via the horizontal exchange of genic characters. Thus, there is an ongoing generation of diversity during infection that results in far more highly complex microbial communities than previously envisioned. This perspective is based on the fundamental tenet that the bacteria within an infecting population display genotypic diversity, including gene possession differences, which result from horizontal gene transfer mechanisms including transformation, conjugation, and transduction. This understanding is embodied in the concepts of the supragenome/pan-genome and the distributed genome hypothesis (DGH). These paradigms have fostered multiple researches in diverse areas of bacterial ecology including host-bacterial interactions covering the gamut of symbiotic relationships including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. With regard to the human host, within each of these symbiotic relationships all bacterial species possess attributes that contribute to colonization and persistence; those species/strains that are pathogenic also encode traits for invasion and metastases. Herein we provide an update on our understanding of bacterial plurality and discuss potential applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccinology based on perspectives provided by the DGH with regard to the evolution of pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn A. Hammond
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Emma A. Gordon
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Kayla M. Socarras
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Joshua Chang Mell
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Meta-omics Shared Resource Facility, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Garth D. Ehrlich
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Meta-omics Shared Resource Facility, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
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Mohamed SA, Samir TM, Helmy OM, Elhosseiny NM, Ali AA, El-Kholy AA, Attia AS. A Novel Surface-Exposed Polypeptide Is Successfully Employed as a Target for Developing a Prototype One-Step Immunochromatographic Strip for Specific and Sensitive Direct Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Causing Neonatal Sepsis. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1580. [PMID: 33233724 PMCID: PMC7699858 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening condition and Staphylococcus aureus is one of its major causes. However, to date, no rapid and sensitive diagnostic tool has been developed for its direct detection. Bioinformatics analyses identified a surface-exposed 112-amino acid polypeptide of the cell wall protein NWMN_1649, a surface protein involved in cell aggregation and biofilm formation, as being a species-specific and highly conserved moiety. The polypeptide was cloned, purified, and used to immunize mice to raise specific immunoglobulins. The purified antibodies were conjugated to gold nano-particles and used to assemble an immunochromatographic strip (ICS). The developed prototype ICS detected as low as 5 µg purified polypeptide and 102 CFU/mL S. aureus within 15 min. The strip showed superior ability to directly detect S. aureus in neonatal sepsis blood specimens without prior sample processing. Moreover, it showed no cross-reaction in specimens infected with two other major causes of neonatal sepsis; coagulase-negative staphylococci and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The selected NWMN_1649-derived polypeptide demonstrates success as a promising biomolecule upon which a prototype ICS has been developed. This ICS provides a rapid, direct, sensitive, and specific option for the detection of S. aureus causing neonatal sepsis. Such a tool is urgently needed especially in resources-limited countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally A. Mohamed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.A.M.); (O.M.H.); (N.M.E.)
| | - Tamer M. Samir
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12566, Egypt;
| | - Omneya M. Helmy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.A.M.); (O.M.H.); (N.M.E.)
| | - Noha M. Elhosseiny
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.A.M.); (O.M.H.); (N.M.E.)
| | - Aliaa A. Ali
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt;
| | - Amani A. El-Kholy
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed S. Attia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.A.M.); (O.M.H.); (N.M.E.)
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28
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Waqas M, Haider A, Sufyan M, Siraj S, Sehgal SA. Determine the Potential Epitope Based Peptide Vaccine Against Novel SARS-CoV-2 Targeting Structural Proteins Using Immunoinformatics Approaches. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:227. [PMID: 33195402 PMCID: PMC7593713 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to the Coronaviridae-family. The genus Beta-coronaviruses, are enveloped positive strand RNA viruses with club-like spikes at the surface with a unique replication process and a large RNA genome (∼25 kb). CoVs are known as one of the major pathogenic viruses causing a variety of diseases in birds and mammals including humans (lethal respiratory dysfunctions). Recently, a new strain of coronavirus has been identified and named as SARS-CoV-2. A large number of COVID-19 (disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) cases are being diagnosed all over the World especially in China (Wuhan). COVID-19 showed high mortality rate exponentially, however, not even a single effective cure is being introduced yet against COVID-19. In the current study, immunoinformatics approaches were employed to predict the antigenic epitopes against COVID-19 for the development of a coronavirus peptide vaccine. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and B-cell epitopes were predicted for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus structural proteins (Spikes, Membrane, Envelope, and Nucleocapsid). The docking complexes of the top 10 epitopes having antigenic sites were analyzed led by binding affinity and binding interactional analyses of top ranked predicted peptides with the MHC-I HLA molecule. The predicted peptides may have potential to be used as peptide vaccine against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Waqas
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Haider
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sufyan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sami Siraj
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Sheikh Arslan Sehgal
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan
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29
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Favero LM, Chideroli RT, Ferrari NA, Azevedo VADC, Tiwari S, Lopera-Barrero NM, Pereira UDP. In silico Prediction of New Drug Candidates Against the Multidrug-Resistant and Potentially Zoonotic Fish Pathogen Serotype III Streptococcus agalactiae. Front Genet 2020; 11:1024. [PMID: 33005185 PMCID: PMC7484375 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.01024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae is an invasive multi-host pathogen that causes invasive diseases mainly in newborns, elderly, and individuals with underlying health complications. In fish, S. agalactiae causes streptococcosis, which is characterized by septicemia and neurological signs, and leads to great economic losses to the fish farming industry worldwide. These bacteria can be classified into different serotypes based on capsular antigens, and into different sequence types (ST) based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST). In 2015, serotype III ST283 was identified to be associated with a foodborne invasive disease in non-pregnant immunocompetent humans in Singapore, and the infection was related to raw fish consumption. In addition, a serotype III strain isolated from tilapia in Brazil has been reported to be resistant to five antibiotic classes. This specific serotype can serve as a reservoir of resistance genes and pose a serious threat to public health. Thus, new approaches for the control and treatment of S. agalactiae infections are needed. In the present study, 24 S. agalactiae serotype III complete genomes, isolated from human and fish hosts, were compared. The core genome was identified, and, using bioinformatics tools and subtractive criteria, five proteins were identified as potential drug targets. Furthermore, 5,008 drug-like natural compounds were virtually screened against the identified targets. The ligands with the best binding properties are suggested for further in vitro and in vivo analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Mantovani Favero
- Laboratory of Fish Bacteriology, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Roberta Torres Chideroli
- Laboratory of Fish Bacteriology, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Natália Amoroso Ferrari
- Laboratory of Fish Bacteriology, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Vasco Ariston De Carvalho Azevedo
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Genetic, Ecology, and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Genetic, Ecology, and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Ulisses de Pádua Pereira
- Laboratory of Fish Bacteriology, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
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30
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Parvizpour S, Pourseif MM, Razmara J, Rafi MA, Omidi Y. Epitope-based vaccine design: a comprehensive overview of bioinformatics approaches. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1034-1042. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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31
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Oli AN, Obialor WO, Ifeanyichukwu MO, Odimegwu DC, Okoyeh JN, Emechebe GO, Adejumo SA, Ibeanu GC. Immunoinformatics and Vaccine Development: An Overview. Immunotargets Ther 2020; 9:13-30. [PMID: 32161726 PMCID: PMC7049754 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s241064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of vaccines have resulted in a remarkable improvement in global health. It has saved several lives, reduced treatment costs and raised the quality of animal and human lives. Current traditional vaccines came empirically with either vague or completely no knowledge of how they modulate our immune system. Even at the face of potential vaccine design advance, immune-related concerns (as seen with specific vulnerable populations, cases of emerging/re-emerging infectious disease, pathogens with complex lifecycle and antigenic variability, need for personalized vaccinations, and concerns for vaccines' immunological safety -specifically vaccine likelihood to trigger non-antigen-specific responses that may cause autoimmunity and vaccine allergy) are being raised. And these concerns have driven immunologists toward research for a better approach to vaccine design that will consider these challenges. Currently, immunoinformatics has paved the way for a better understanding of some infectious disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, immune system response and computational vaccinology. The importance of this immunoinformatics in the study of infectious diseases is diverse in terms of computational approaches used, but is united by common qualities related to host–pathogen relationship. Bioinformatics methods are also used to assign functions to uncharacterized genes which can be targeted as a candidate in vaccine design and can be a better approach toward the inclusion of women that are pregnant into vaccine trials and programs. The essence of this review is to give insight into the need to focus on novel computational, experimental and computation-driven experimental approaches for studying of host–pathogen interactions and thus making a case for its use in vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Nnamdi Oli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
| | - Wilson Okechukwu Obialor
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
| | - Martins Ositadimma Ifeanyichukwu
- Department of Immunology, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra, Nigeria.,Department of Medical Laboratory Science,Faculty of Health Science and Technology, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University,Nnewi Campus, Nnewi, Nigeria
| | - Damian Chukwu Odimegwu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria
| | - Jude Nnaemeka Okoyeh
- Department of Biology and Clinical Laboratory Science, Division of Arts and Sciences, Neumann University, Aston, PA 19014-1298, USA
| | - George Ogonna Emechebe
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Awka, Nigeria
| | - Samson Adedeji Adejumo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
| | - Gordon C Ibeanu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA
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