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Ishwarlall TZ, Adeleke VT, Maharaj L, Okpeku M, Adeniyi AA, Adeleke MA. Multi-epitope vaccine candidates based on mycobacterial membrane protein large (MmpL) proteins against Mycobacterium ulcerans. Open Biol 2023; 13:230330. [PMID: 37935359 PMCID: PMC10645115 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230330] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans and is characterized by skin lesions. Several studies were performed testing the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in human and animal models and M. ulcerans-specific vaccines in animal models. However, there are currently no clinically accepted vaccines to prevent M. ulcerans infection. The aim of this study was to identify T-cell and B-cell epitopes from the mycobacterial membrane protein large (MmpL) proteins of M. ulcerans. These epitopes were analysed for properties including antigenicity, immunogenicity, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, population coverage and the potential to induce cytokines. The final 8 CD8+, 12 CD4+ T-cell and 5 B-cell epitopes were antigenic, non-allergenic and non-toxic. The estimated global population coverage of the CD8+ and CD4+ epitopes was 97.71%. These epitopes were used to construct five multi-epitope vaccine constructs with different adjuvants and linker combinations. The constructs underwent further structural analyses and refinement. The constructs were then docked with Toll-like receptors. Three of the successfully docked complexes were structurally analysed. Two of the docked complexes successfully underwent molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and post-MDS analysis. The complexes generated were found to be stable. However, experimental validation of the complexes is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Z. Ishwarlall
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Victoria T. Adeleke
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi, Durban, South Africa
| | - Leah Maharaj
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Moses Okpeku
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Adebayo A. Adeniyi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Department of Industrial Chemistry, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Matthew A. Adeleke
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Kumar AK, Jain S, Jain S, Ritam M, Xia Y, Chandra R. Physics-informed neural entangled-ladder network for inhalation impedance of the respiratory system. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 231:107421. [PMID: 36805280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The use of machine learning methods for modelling bio-systems is becoming prominent which can further improve bio-medical technologies. Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) can embed the knowledge of physical laws that govern a system during the model training process. PINNs utilise differential equations in the model which traditionally used numerical methods that are computationally complex. METHODS We integrate PINNs with an entangled ladder network for modelling respiratory systems by considering a lungs conduction zone to evaluate the respiratory impedance for different initial conditions. We evaluate the respiratory impedance for the inhalation phase of breathing for a symmetric model of the human lungs using entanglement and continued fractions. RESULTS We obtain the impedance of the conduction zone of the lungs pulmonary airways using PINNs for nine different combinations of velocity and pressure of inhalation. We compare the results from PINNs with the finite element method using the mean absolute error and root mean square error. The results show that the impedance obtained with PINNs contrasts with the conventional forced oscillation test used for deducing the respiratory impedance. The results show similarity with the impedance plots for different respiratory diseases. CONCLUSION We find a decrease in impedance when the velocity of breathing is lowered gradually by 20%. Hence, the methodology can be used to design smart ventilators to the improve flow of breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Krishan Kumar
- Faculty of Electrical-Electronic Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Vietnam; State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex Systems, School of Automation, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Snigdha Jain
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, India.
| | - Shirin Jain
- Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, India.
| | - M Ritam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, India.
| | - Yuanqing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex Systems, School of Automation, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Rohitash Chandra
- Transitional Artificial Intelligence Research Group, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Lipska AG, Sieradzan AK, Czaplewski C, Lipińska AD, Ocetkiewicz KM, Proficz J, Czarnul P, Krawczyk H, Liwo A. Long-time scale simulations of virus-like particles from three human-norovirus strains. J Comput Chem 2023; 44:1470-1483. [PMID: 36799410 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27087] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of the virus like particles (VLPs) corresponding to the GII.4 Houston, GII.2 SMV, and GI.1 Norwalk strains of human noroviruses (HuNoV) that cause gastroenteritis was investigated by means of long-time (about 30 μs in the laboratory timescale) molecular dynamics simulations with the coarse-grained UNRES force field. The main motion of VLP units turned out to be the bending at the junction between the P1 subdomain (that sits in the VLP shell) and the P2 subdomain (that protrudes outside) of the major VP1 protein, this resulting in a correlated wagging motion of the P2 subdomains with respect to the VLP surface. The fluctuations of the P2 subdomain were found to be more pronounced and the P2 domain made a greater angle with the normal to the VLP surface for the GII.2 strain, which could explain the inability of this strain to bind the histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka G Lipska
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adam K Sieradzan
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Cezary Czaplewski
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Andrea D Lipińska
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof M Ocetkiewicz
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jerzy Proficz
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Paweł Czarnul
- Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Henryk Krawczyk
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adam Liwo
- Centre of Informatics Tri-city Academic Supercomputer and Network (CI TASK), Gdańsk University of Technology, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Ishwarlall TZ, Adeleke VT, Maharaj L, Okpeku M, Adeniyi AA, Adeleke MA. Identification of potential candidate vaccines against Mycobacterium ulcerans based on the major facilitator superfamily transporter protein. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1023558. [PMID: 36426350 PMCID: PMC9679648 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1023558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease that is characterized by non-fatal lesion development. The causative agent is Mycobacterium ulcerans (M. ulcerans). There are no known vectors or transmission methods, preventing the development of control methods. There are effective diagnostic techniques and treatment routines; however, several socioeconomic factors may limit patients' abilities to receive these treatments. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine developed against tuberculosis has shown limited efficacy, and no conventionally designed vaccines have passed clinical trials. This study aimed to generate a multi-epitope vaccine against M. ulcerans from the major facilitator superfamily transporter protein using an immunoinformatics approach. Twelve M. ulcerans genome assemblies were analyzed, resulting in the identification of 11 CD8+ and 7 CD4+ T-cell epitopes and 2 B-cell epitopes. These conserved epitopes were computationally predicted to be antigenic, immunogenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic. The CD4+ T-cell epitopes were capable of inducing interferon-gamma and interleukin-4. They successfully bound to their respective human leukocyte antigens alleles in in silico docking studies. The expected global population coverage of the T-cell epitopes and their restricted human leukocyte antigens alleles was 99.90%. The population coverage of endemic regions ranged from 99.99% (Papua New Guinea) to 21.81% (Liberia). Two vaccine constructs were generated using the Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 agonists, LprG and RpfE, respectively. Both constructs were antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, thermostable, basic, and hydrophilic. The DNA sequences of the vaccine constructs underwent optimization and were successfully in-silico cloned with the pET-28a(+) plasmid. The vaccine constructs were successfully docked to their respective toll-like receptors. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to analyze the binding interactions within the complex. The generated binding energies indicate the stability of both complexes. The constructs generated in this study display severable favorable properties, with construct one displaying a greater range of favorable properties. However, further analysis and laboratory validation are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Z. Ishwarlall
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Victoria T. Adeleke
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Leah Maharaj
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Moses Okpeku
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Adebayo A. Adeniyi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Department of Industrial Chemistry, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Matthew A. Adeleke
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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