In Silico Validation of D7 Salivary Protein-derived B- and T-cell Epitopes of Aedes aegypti as Potential Vaccine to Prevent Transmission of Flaviviruses and Togaviruses to Humans

ABSTRACT The chimeric protein that relies on the T-cell epitopes of antigen 85B (Ag85B) and the 6-kDa early secreted antigen target (ESAT-6) has been demonstrated to augment the Th1 immune response. In this study, we developed a recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG (rBCG) strain that secretes the chimeric protein of Ag85B and ESAT-6 (rBCG-AN-E-AC). Immunization with this rBCG strain induced stronger antigen-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ) activities, as determined by an enzyme-linked immunospot assay, and higher levels of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses than those in the control groups immunized with either rBCG expressing the Ag85B-ESAT-6 fusion protein (rBCG-A-E) or BCG. Likewise, rBCG-AN-E-AC significantly increased the level of production of the major Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor alpha in splenocyte cultures to levels comparable to those elicited by control BCG. Moreover, the antigen-specific immunoglobulin 2c (IgG2c)/IgG1 ratio for mice immunized with rBCG-AN-E-AC was also much higher than the ratios for the other immunized groups. Together, these results indicate that this rBCG-AN-E-AC strain enhances the Th1 cell-mediated response and may serve as a potential vaccine against M. tuberculosis.

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Towards the in silico identification of class II restricted T-cell epitopes: a partial least squares iterative self-consistent algorithm for affinity prediction

Bioinformatics ◽

10.1093/bioinformatics/btg312 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 19 (17) ◽

pp. 2263-2270 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

I.A. Doytchinova ◽

D.R. Flower

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Least Squares ◽

Partial Least Squares ◽

In Silico ◽

Class Ii ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

Affinity Prediction ◽

Self Consistent ◽

In Silico Identification

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In silico analysis and modeling of putative T cell epitopes for vaccine design of Toscana virus

3 Biotech ◽

10.1007/s13205-014-0247-4 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 497-503 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Amisha Jain ◽

Pranav Tripathi ◽

Aniket Shrotriya ◽

Ritu Chaudhary ◽

Ajeet Singh

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

In Silico ◽

In Silico Analysis ◽

Vaccine Design ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

Toscana Virus ◽

Silico Analysis

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Preliminary identification of potential vaccine targets for the COVID-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) based on SARS-CoV immunological studies

10.1101/2020.02.03.933226 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Syed Faraz Ahmed ◽

Ahmed A. Quadeer ◽

Matthew R. McKay

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

B Cell ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

Population Coverage ◽

Preliminary Identification ◽

Coverage Analysis ◽

Potential Vaccine ◽

Novel Virus ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Mhc Alleles

AbstractThe beginning of 2020 has seen the emergence of COVID-19 outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There is an imminent need to better understand this new virus and to develop ways to control its spread. In this study, we sought to gain insights for vaccine design against SARS-CoV-2 by considering the high genetic similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, which caused the outbreak in 2003, and leveraging existing immunological studies of SARS-CoV. By screening the experimentally-determined SARS-CoV-derived B cell and T cell epitopes in the immunogenic structural proteins of SARS-CoV, we identified a set of B cell and T cell epitopes derived from the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins that map identically to SARS-CoV-2 proteins. As no mutation has been observed in these identified epitopes among the available SARS-CoV-2 sequences (as of 9 February 2020), immune targeting of these epitopes may potentially offer protection against this novel virus. For the T cell epitopes, we performed a population coverage analysis of the associated MHC alleles and proposed a set of epitopes that is estimated to provide broad coverage globally, as well as in China. Our findings provide a screened set of epitopes that can help guide experimental efforts towards the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.

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Design of Peptide Vaccine for COVID19: CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes from SARS-CoV-2 open-reading-frame protein variants

10.1101/2021.09.21.461301 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Simone Parn ◽

Gabriel Jabbour ◽

Vincent Nguyenkhoa ◽

Sivanesan Dakshanamurthy

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Human Life ◽

Peptide Vaccine ◽

T Cell Response ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

World Population ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

The World ◽

Potential Vaccine

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, has challenged public health at an unprecedented scale which has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide. To design a protective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to understand which SARS-CoV-2 specific epitopes can elicit a T cell response and provide protection across a broad population. In this study, PLpro and RdRp, two immunogenic non-structural proteins from an immunodominant gene region ORF1ab, as well as ORF3a and ORF9b are identified as potential vaccine targets against SARS-CoV-2. To select top epitopes for vaccine design, we used various clinical properties, such as antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity and IFN-y secretion. The analysis of CD8 and CD4 T cell epitopes revealed multiple potential vaccine constructs that cover a high percentage of the world population. We identified 8 immunogenic, antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD8 proteins for nsp3, 4 for nsp12, 11 for ORF3a and 3 for ORF9b that are common across four lineages of variants of concern: B.1.1.7, P.1, B.1.351 and B.1.617.2, which protect 98.12%, 87.08%, 96.07% and 63.8% of the world population, respectively. We also identified variant specific T cell epitopes that could be useful in targeting each variant strain separately. Including the prediction of mouse MHC affinity towards our top CD8 epitopes, our study revealed a total of 3 immunogenic, antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD8 epitopes overlapping with 6 antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD4 epitopes across all four variants of concern which can effectively be utilized in pre-clinical studies. The landscape of SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes that we identified can help lead SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development as well as epitope-based peptide vaccine research in the future.

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Molecular cloning, expression, purification and in silico epitope prediction of cobalamin-independent methionine synthase (Mor a 2), as a novel allergen from Morus alba pollen

Archives of Medical Science ◽

10.5114/aoms/136322 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yunus AKSÜT

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

B Cell ◽

In Silico ◽

Allergic Diseases ◽

Structural Features ◽

Morus Alba ◽

Methionine Synthase ◽

Antigenic Peptides ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

B Cell Epitopes

IntroductionMorus alba (white mulberry) pollen is an aero-allergen source that can trigger allergic diseases. Cobalamin-independent methionine synthase (MetE) in M. alba pollen has been proved to be one of the major allergens for some patients living in Istanbul (Turkey). The aim of the present study was the recombinant production and identification of MetE (Mor a 2), a novel allergen from M. alba pollen. The IgE binding reactivity of rMor a 2 produced for the first time was evaluated and some structural features were investigated by in silico methods to better understand its immunogenicity.Material and methodsThe gene encoding Mor a 2 was cloned in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe ura4-D18h- strain, using pSLF1073 vector. This is the first report of the production of recombinant pollen allergen in S. pombe. After the purification, immunoreactivity of rMor a 2 was confirmed by immunoblotting using sera of patient allergic to M. alba pollen. Besides, B-cell epitopes of rMor a 2 were predicted using various bioinformatic tools, namely Bioinformatics Predicted Antigenic Peptides, BepiPred 2.0 and Immune Epitope Database whereas T-cell epitopes were estimated using NetMHCIIpan-3.2 and NetMHCII 2.3 servers.ResultsThe immunoblotting analysis yielded 11 of 11 positive reactions to rMor a 2. In silico predictions exerted seven B-cell epitopes (22-33, 384-394, 407-423, 547-553, 571-577, 671-678, 736-741) and seven T-cell epitopes (54-62, 161-170, 197-205, 347-358, 622-630, 657-665, 756-764).ConclusionsThese findings may help the use of rMor a 2 in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases associated with M. alba and/or MetE.

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