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Hashempour A, Khodadad N, Bemani P, Ghasemi Y, Akbarinia S, Bordbari R, Tabatabaei AH, Falahi S. Design of multivalent-epitope vaccine models directed toward the world's population against HIV-Gag polyprotein: Reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306559. [PMID: 39331650 PMCID: PMC11432917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Significant progress has been made in HIV-1 research; however, researchers have not yet achieved the objective of eradicating HIV-1 infection. Accordingly, in this study, eucaryotic and procaryotic in silico vaccines were developed for HIV-Gag polyproteins from 100 major HIV subtypes and CRFs using immunoinformatic techniques to simulate immune responses in mice and humans. The epitopes located in the conserved domains of the Gag polyprotein were evaluated for allergenicity, antigenicity, immunogenicity, toxicity, homology, topology, and IFN-γ induction. Adjuvants, linkers, CTLs, HTLs, and BCL epitopes were incorporated into the vaccine models. Strong binding affinities were detected between HLA/MHC alleles, TLR-2, TLR-3, TLR-4, TLR-7, and TLR-9, and vaccine models. Immunological simulation showed that innate and adaptive immune cells elicited active and consistent responses. The human vaccine model was matched with approximately 93.91% of the human population. The strong binding of the vaccine to MHC/HLA and TLR molecules was confirmed through molecular dynamic stimulation. Codon optimization ensured the successful translation of the designed constructs into human cells and E. coli hosts. We believe that the HIV-1 Gag vaccine formulated in our research can reduce the challenges faced in developing an HIV-1 vaccine. Nevertheless, experimental verification is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of these vaccines in these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Hashempour
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nastaran Khodadad
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Peyman Bemani
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Younes Ghasemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shokufeh Akbarinia
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Reza Bordbari
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Tabatabaei
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shahab Falahi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
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2
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Hashempour A, Khodadad N, Akbarinia S, Ghasabi F, Ghasemi Y, Nazar MMKA, Falahi S. Reverse vaccinology approaches to design a potent multiepitope vaccine against the HIV whole genome: immunoinformatic, bioinformatics, and molecular dynamics approaches. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:873. [PMID: 39198721 PMCID: PMC11360854 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09775-2] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Substantial advances have been made in the development of promising HIV vaccines to eliminate HIV-1 infection. For the first time, one hundred of the most submitted HIV subtypes and CRFs were retrieved from the LANL database, and the consensus sequences of the eleven HIV proteins were obtained to design vaccines for human and mouse hosts. By using various servers and filters, highly qualified B-cell epitopes, as well as HTL and CD8 + epitopes that were common between mouse and human alleles and were also located in the conserved domains of HIV proteins, were considered in the vaccine constructs. With 90% coverage worldwide, the human vaccine model covers a diverse allelic population, making it widely available. Codon optimization and in silico cloning in prokaryotic and eukaryotic vectors guarantee high expression of the vaccine models in human and E. coli hosts. Molecular dynamics confirmed the stable interaction of the vaccine constructs with TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9, leading to a substantial immunogenic response to the designed vaccine. Vaccine models effectively target the humoral and cellular immune systems in humans and mice; however, experimental validation is needed to confirm these findings in silico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ava Hashempour
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nastaran Khodadad
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Shokufeh Akbarinia
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farzane Ghasabi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Younes Ghasemi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Shahab Falahi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
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Ghassabi F, Hashempour A, Dehghani B, Hasanshahi Z, Khodadad N, Behizadeh F, Davarpanah MA. Frequency of Fusion Inhibitor Resistance Mutations Among Therapy-Naïve HIV Patients. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2024; 40:471-481. [PMID: 38553905 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2023.0102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycoprotein 41 (gp41) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protein plays a critical role in membrane fusion. Gp41 binds to proteins in the plasma membrane of CD4+ T cells, particularly the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). These findings indicate that gp41 is involved in the assembly of HIV-1 at the plasma membrane of T cells and affects the stimulation of the TCR. To control HIV-1, new inhibitors were introduced to target the gp41 protein. However, mutations in this region might reduce their efficacy. The Gp41 region was amplified from the sera of 30 patients using nested polymerase chain reaction. The sequences were analyzed by bioinformatics tools to identify mutations and gp41 structural features. Subtyping and the interaction between fusion inhibitors and gp41 proteins were also examined. As the first report from Iran, docking analysis between fusion inhibitors and Iranian gp41 proteins showed that mutations in gp41 could not reduce the efficacy of the fusion inhibitors. Most of the patients were infected with CRF35-AD. Several post-modification positions, including glycosylation and phosphorylation sites, were identified in the gp41 protein. Our findings revealed no known multinational drug resistance to gp41 inhibitors; thus, fusion inhibitors can effectively inhibit HIV in Iranian patients. In addition, the present study introduced a new gp41 region (36-44 aa), which considerably influences the interactions between gp41 inhibitors and the gp41 protein. This region may play a pivotal role in suppressing gp41 inhibitors in CFR35-AD. Furthermore, gp41 can be considered a good target for subtyping analysis via the phylogenetic method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Ghassabi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ava Hashempour
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Behzad Dehghani
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zahra Hasanshahi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nastaran Khodadad
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farideh Behizadeh
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohamad Ali Davarpanah
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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4
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Shing JZ, Porras C, Pinheiro M, Herrero R, Hildesheim A, Liu D, Gail MH, Romero B, Schiller JT, Zúñiga M, Mishra S, Burdette L, Jones K, Schussler J, Ocampo R, Fang J, Liu Z, Lowy DR, Tsang SH, Rodríguez AC, Schiffman M, Haas CB, Carvajal LJ, Brown JR, Kreimer AR, Mirabello L. Differential long-term bivalent HPV vaccine cross-protection by variants in the Costa Rica HPV vaccine trial. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:101. [PMID: 38851816 PMCID: PMC11162434 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00896-y] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The AS04-adjuvanted human papillomavirus (HPV)16/18 vaccine, an L1-based vaccine, provides strong vaccine efficacy (VE) against vaccine-targeted type infections, and partial cross-protection to phylogenetically-related types, which may be affected by variant-level heterogeneity. We compared VE against incident HPV31, 33, 35, and 45 detections between lineages and SNPs in the L1 region among 2846 HPV-vaccinated and 5465 HPV-unvaccinated women through 11-years of follow-up in the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial. VE was lower against HPV31-lineage-B (VE=60.7%;95%CI = 23.4%,82.8%) compared to HPV31-lineage-A (VE=94.3%;95%CI = 83.7%,100.0%) (VE-ratio = 0.64;95%CI = 0.25,0.90). Differential VE was observed at several lineage-associated HPV31-L1-SNPs, including a nonsynonymous substitution at position 6372 on the FG-loop, an important neutralization domain. For HPV35, the only SNP-level difference was at position 5939 on the DE-loop, with significant VE against nucleotide-G (VE=65.0%;95%CI = 28.0,87.8) but not for more the common nucleotide-A (VE=7.4%;95%CI = -34.1,36.7). Because of the known heterogeneity in precancer/cancer risk across cross-protected HPV genotype variants by race and region, our results of differential variant-level AS04-adjuvanted HPV16/18 vaccine efficacy has global health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaimie Z Shing
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Carolina Porras
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Maísa Pinheiro
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Rolando Herrero
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Allan Hildesheim
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Danping Liu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Mitchell H Gail
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Byron Romero
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - John T Schiller
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael Zúñiga
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Sambit Mishra
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Laurie Burdette
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kristine Jones
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - John Schussler
- Information Management Services Inc, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Rebeca Ocampo
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jianwen Fang
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhiwei Liu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Douglas R Lowy
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sabrina H Tsang
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Mark Schiffman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Cameron B Haas
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Loretto J Carvajal
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Agencia Costarricense de Investigaciones Biomédicas (ACIB), formerly Proyecto Epidemiológico Guanacaste, Fundación INCIENSA, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jalen R Brown
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Aimée R Kreimer
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lisa Mirabello
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
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Hasanshahi Z, Dehghani B, Hashempour A. Interaction Between Vpx and SAMHD1, Vital for SAMHD1 Inhibition. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2024; 40:384-392. [PMID: 38084955 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2023.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
It was confirmed that the sterile alpha motif and HD domain 1 (SAMHD1) limits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication. In contrast, viral protein x (Vpx) in HIV-2 and some simian immunodeficiency viruses can counteract this effect. The possible interaction between SAMHD1 and Vpx was suggested by previous studies; however, there are no data to confirm this interaction. Therefore, this study aimed to study the interaction between two proteins and the properties of Vpx protein for the first time using bioinformatic tools. Vpx and SAMHD1 sequences were obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information GenBank. Several software were used to define Vpx properties and the interaction between Vpx and different SAMHD1 isoforms. Our findings indicated the difference in interaction sites among different Vpx. However, in all Vpx proteins, this region is from amino acids 4 to 90. In addition, two regions (26-31 and 134-139) and two amino acids 425 and 429 in SAMHD1 are vital in the possible interaction. In addition, our analysis determined the physicochemical and immunological properties of the Vpx. Considering all factors, this study could confirm that Vpx interacts with SAMHD1, which could inhibit SAMHD1. Moreover, our findings can pave the way for future studies to express and purify Vpx in the laboratory and study this protein in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Hasanshahi
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Behzad Dehghani
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ava Hashempour
- HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Padavu S, Kumar BK, Kumar A, Rai P. In-silico Analysis of Human Papillomavirus – 45 E6, E7 & L1 Proteins as Potential Immunogens. JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2023; 17:554-566. [DOI: 10.22207/jpam.17.1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. After being cloned from a recurring cervical lesion in 1987, Human papillomavirus (HPV) type-45 was identified as a high-risk HPV type. It is the third most common cancer-causing HPV subtype, after HPV-16 and HPV-18. Immunogenic epitopes and structural features provide the most useful information for vaccine development. Computational algorithms provide quick, simple, trustworthy, and cost-efficient methods for predicting immunogenic epitopes. In this study, both B and T cell epitopes have been identified as potential immunogens that can elicit a response from the host system. Three potential B-cell epitopes, i.e., SIAGQYRGQCNTCCDQ, LQEIVLHLEPQNELDP, and DSTVYLPPPSVARVVS, were identified in this study. A potential epitope for E6 (ATLERTEVY) was predicted to 8 MHC-I alleles (HLA-A*30:02, HLA-B*15:01, HLA-A*01:01, HLA-A*26:01, HLA-A*32:01, HLA-B*35:01, HLA-B*58:01, HLA-A*11:01) and for L1 epitope (NVFPIFLQM) was predicted for 4 MHC-I alleles (HLA-A*30:02, HLA-A*32:01, HLA-B*53:01, HLA-B*51:01). To conclude, the epitopes identified here might potentially be useful for developing a cervical cancer vaccine against HPV-45 strains, but in vitro and in vivo trials are needed to validate their safety and efficacy.
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Salod Z, Mahomed O. Mapping Potential Vaccine Candidates Predicted by VaxiJen for Different Viral Pathogens between 2017-2021-A Scoping Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1785. [PMID: 36366294 PMCID: PMC9695814 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse vaccinology (RV) is a promising alternative to traditional vaccinology. RV focuses on in silico methods to identify antigens or potential vaccine candidates (PVCs) from a pathogen's proteome. Researchers use VaxiJen, the most well-known RV tool, to predict PVCs for various pathogens. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of PVCs predicted by VaxiJen for different viruses between 2017 and 2021 using Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We used the term 'vaxijen' to search PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest One Academic. The protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF). We identified articles on this topic, charted them, and discussed the key findings. The database searches yielded 1033 articles, of which 275 were eligible. Most studies focused on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), published between 2020 and 2021. Only a few articles (8/275; 2.9%) conducted experimental validations to confirm the predictions as vaccine candidates, with 2.2% (6/275) articles mentioning recombinant protein expression. Researchers commonly targeted parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, with the frequently predicted epitopes as PVCs being major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I T cell epitopes WTAGAAAYY, RQIAPGQTG, IAIVMVTIM, and B cell epitope IAPGQTGKIADY, among others. The findings of this review are promising for the development of novel vaccines. We recommend that vaccinologists use these findings as a guide to performing experimental validation for various viruses, with SARS-CoV-2 as a priority, because better vaccines are needed, especially to stay ahead of the emergence of new variants. If successful, these vaccines could provide broader protection than traditional vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakia Salod
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4051, South Africa
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Ghasabi F, Hashempour A, Khodadad N, Bemani S, Keshani P, Shekiba MJ, Hasanshahi Z. First report of computational protein-ligand docking to evaluate susceptibility to HIV integrase inhibitors in HIV-infected Iranian patients. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 30:101254. [PMID: 35368742 PMCID: PMC8968007 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101254] [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: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Iran has recently included integrase (INT) inhibitors (INTIs) in the first-line treatment regimen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. However, there is no bioinformatics data to elaborate the impact of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) and naturally occurring polymorphisms (NOPs) on INTIs treatment outcome in Iranian patients. Method In this cross-sectional survey, 850 HIV-1-infected patients enrolled; of them, 78 samples had successful sequencing results for INT gene. Several analyses were performed including docking screening, genotypic resistance, secondary/tertiary structures, post-translational modification (PTM), immune epitopes, etc. Result The average docking energy (E value) of different samples with elvitegravir (EVG) and raltegravir (RAL) was more than other INTIs. Phylogenetic tree analysis and Stanford HIV Subtyping program revealed HIV-1 CRF35-AD was the predominant subtype (94.9%) in our cases; in any event, online subtyping tools confirmed A1 as the most frequent subtype. For the first time, CRF-01B and BF were identified as new subtypes in Iran. Decreased CD4 count was associated with several factors: poor or unstable adherence, naïve treatment, and drug user status. Conclusion As the first bioinformatic report on HIV-integrase from Iran, this study indicates that EVG and RAL are the optimal INTIs in first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Iranian patients. Some conserved motifs and specific amino acids in INT-protein binding sites have characterized that mutation(s) in them may disrupt INT-drugs interaction and cause a significant loss in susceptibility to INTIs. Good adherence, treatment of naïve patients, and monitoring injection drug users are fundamental factors to control HIV infection in Iran effectively.
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Key Words
- Antiretroviral therapy, ART
- Behavioral Diseases Consultation Center, BDCC
- Bictegravir, BIC
- C-terminal domain, CTD
- CRF35-AD
- Cabotegravir, CBT
- Catalytic core domain, CCD
- Dolutegravir, DTG
- Drug resistance
- Elvitegravir, EVG
- Grand average hydropathy, GRAVY
- HIV
- Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV
- INT, Integrase
- INTIs, Integrase inhibitors (INTIs)
- Injecting drug users, IDUs
- Integrase
- Integrase inhibitors
- Molecular docking
- N-terminal domain, NTD
- Naturally occurring polymorphisms, NOPs
- Post-translational modification, PTM
- Raltegravir, RAL
- Resistance-associated mutations, RAMs
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzane Ghasabi
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ava Hashempour
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Nastaran Khodadad
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Soudabeh Bemani
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Parisa Keshani
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohamad Javad Shekiba
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zahra Hasanshahi
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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9
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Ebrahim-Saraie HS, Dehghani B, Mojtahedi A, Shenagari M, Hasannejad-Bibalan M. Functional and Structural Characterization of SARS-Cov-2 Spike Protein: An In Silico Study. Ethiop J Health Sci 2021; 31:213-222. [PMID: 34158771 PMCID: PMC8188087 DOI: 10.4314/ejhs.v31i2.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), which has been considered as a pandemic by WHO. SARS-CoV-2 encodes four major structural proteins, among which spike protein has always been a main target for new vaccine studies. This in silico study aimed to investigate some physicochemical, functional, immunological, and structural features of spike protein using several bioinformatics tools. METHOD We retrieved all SARS-CoV-2 spike protein sequences from different countries registered in NCBI GenBank. CLC Sequence Viewer was employed to translate and align the sequences, and several programs were utilized to predict B-cell epitopes. Modification sites such as phosphorylation, glycosylation, and disulfide bonds were defined. Secondary and tertiary structures of all sequences were further computed. RESULTS Some mutations were determined, where only one (D614G) had a high prevalence. The mutations did not impact the B-cell and physicochemical properties of the spike protein. Seven disulfide bonds were specified and also predicted in several N-link glycosylation and phosphorylation sites. The results also indicated that spike protein is a non-allergen. CONCLUSION In summary, our findings provided a deep understanding of spike protein, which can be valuable for future studies on SARS-CoV-2 infections and design of new vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Sedigh Ebrahim-Saraie
- Razi Clinical Research Development Unit, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Behzad Dehghani
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Mojtahedi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shenagari
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
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10
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Mahmoudvand S, Shokri S, Makvandi M, Taherkhani R, Rashno M, Jalilian FA, Angali KA. In silico prediction of T-cell and B-cell epitopes of human papillomavirus type 16 L1 protein. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2021; 69:514-525. [PMID: 33624357 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is one of the most important cause of developing cervical cancer. Therefore, effective epitope-based vaccine design for HPV-16 would be of major medical benefit. The aim of our study was to identify B- and T-cell epitopes of HPV-16 L1 protein. In this study, the HPV-16 L1 gene was isolated from HPV recovered from five vaginal swab samples using specific primers and finally sequenced. The ExPASy translate tool (http://web.expasy.org/translate/) was used to convert nucleotide sequence into amino acid sequence. Bioinformatic analysis was employed to predict suitable B- and T-cell epitopes and immunogenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity of predicted epitopes were then evaluated. Afterward, the selected T-cell epitopes were docked using Molegro Virtual Docker software. The two epitopes 207 AMDFTTLQA215 and 200 MVDTGFGAM208 have showed a very strong binding affinity to HLA-A0201 and HLA-B3501 molecules, respectively. Outcome of B-cell epitope prediction showed that epitope 475 KAKPKFTLGKRK ATPTTSSTSTTAKRKK502 contained overlapped epitope, which might be the epitope associated with the production of neutralizing antibody response. Based on this finding, the predicted B- and T-cell epitopes are promising targets for epitope-based vaccine development against HPV-16. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments are needed to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahab Mahmoudvand
- Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Somayeh Shokri
- Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Manoochehr Makvandi
- Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Taherkhani
- Persian Gulf Biomedical Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rashno
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Farid Azizi Jalilian
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran
| | - Kambiz Ahmadi Angali
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Hashempour T, Dehghani B, Musavi Z, Moayedi J, Hasanshahi Z, Sarvari J, Hosseini SY, Hosseini E, Moeini M, Merat S. Impact of IL28 Genotypes and Modeling the Interactions of HCV Core Protein on Treatment of Hepatitis C. Interdiscip Sci 2020; 12:424-437. [PMID: 32656614 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-020-00382-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in the core CVR region of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and polymorphisms of interleukin 28B (IL28B) are associated with progression toward liver disease and in response to therapy. In addition, interactions of the core protein with some cell interactors can be related to HCV liver damage. AIM This study aimed to evaluate the effect of core mutations as well as IL28B polymorphism on clinical features, sustained virological response (SVR) in 1a and 3a HCV genotypes amongst Iranian HCV infected patients, and the impact of mutations on core protein properties, antigenic properties, and interactions with HCV inhibitors, using several bioinformatics tools. METHODS Seventy-nine Iranian patients infected with HCV genotypes 1a and 3a and diagnosed with chronic active hepatitis were examined. Plasma viral RNA was used to amplify and sequence the HCV Core gene; also, HCV viral load, molecular genotyping, and the liver enzymes were determined for all samples. The sequencing results were analyzed by several reliable bioinformatics tools to determine the physicochemical properties, B cell epitopes, post-modification changes, and secondary/tertiary structures; and evaluate the interactions with 4 drugs by docking method. RESULT There were some substitutions in core CVR related to ALT and AST enzymes that can lead to HCV advanced liver disease. The most prevalent mutation for 3a genotypes was a substitution in aa 162 (I to V) while we did not find any mutation in 1a responder group. Polymorphism of the rs8099917 showed that the majority of patients had TG heterozygous and carried CT genotype at the rs12979860. Analysis indicated several phosphorylation sits for core protein as well as two important disulfide bonds. Immunogenic prediction showed that core protein can strongly induce the immune system. Interaction analysis, using the docking method revealed two potential interactors (Vitronectin and SETD2). CONCLUSION Generally, mutations in all core CVR regions in all patients showed a relationship between such substitutions and higher liver enzymes that can result in advanced liver disease progression in HCV infected patients. Furthermore, immunoinformatics analysis determined the possible immunodominant regions to be considered in HCV vaccine designs. Furthermore, no association between SVR and IL28B polymorphism was shown. In silico analysis determined modification sites, structures, B-cell epitopes of core protein and interactions with several interactors can lead to persistent HCV infection in the cell and the progress of liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Hashempour
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Behzad Dehghani
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zahra Musavi
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Javad Moayedi
- Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Zahra Hasanshahi
- Shiraz HIV/AIDS Research Center, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Jamal Sarvari
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Younes Hosseini
- Bacteriology and Virology Department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Hosseini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Maryam Moeini
- Gastroenterology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shahin Merat
- Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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