Title:In Silico Vaccine Designing Targeting the Virulence Factors of mce Operons of Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis
Volume: 18
Issue: 4
Author(s): Taruna Mohinani, Aditya Saxena*Shoor Vir Singh
Affiliation:
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Applied Sciences & Humanities, GLA University, Mathura (U.P.),India
Keywords:
Mycobacterium avium sp. paratuberculosis, mammalian cell entry proteins, virulence factors, in-silico, epitope,
vaccine.
Abstract:
Background: Mycobacterium avium sp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes Paratuberculosis
(pTB) in domestic livestock and has also been associated with auto-immune disorders in humans.
Infection leads to huge economic losses to the farmers associated with livestock production
system worldwide. Currently, search to find proteins with the potential to develop as vaccine candidates
against MAP is underway.
Objective: In this study, we aimed to explore the immunogenicity of the proteins of mammalian
cell entry (mce) operons of MAP using computational tools.
Methods: Genes of mce operons of MAP strain K10 were selected and their orthologs identification
was made using VFanalyzer tool. Mce proteins encoded by these operons were analyzed for
their antigenicity and sub-cellular localization. Three dimensional structures for Mce proteins were
predicted using Phyre2. B cell and T cell epitope analysis was done using methods available at Immune
Epitope Database and Analysis Resource. The selection analysis of mce genes was also performed.
Results: Eight Mce proteins were predicted with B cell and T cell epitopes. Some of them were reported
with overlapping B cell and T cell epitopes. We found positively selected sites within some
predicted epitopes that indicated some kind of selection pressure by immune system on these protein
regions. Some predicted epitopes also had similarities with experimentally identified epitopes
of Mce proteins of M. tuberculosis which further strengthened the immunogenic role of Mce proteins.
Conclusion: Our findings may potentially assist in the development of effective vaccine against incurable
infection due to MAP bacilli in the domestic livestock species.
