In silico Analysis and Modeling of ACP-MIP–PilQ Chimeric Antigen from Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup B

Background: Neisseria meningitidis, a life-threatening human pathogen with the potential to cause large epidemics, can be isolated from the nasopharynx of 5–15% of adults. The aim of the current study was to evaluate biophysical and biochemical properties and immunological aspects of chimeric acyl-c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mehrdad Gholami, Alireza Salimi Chirani, Mona Moshiri, Mansour Sedighi, Abazar Pournajaf, Masoud Tohidfar, Gholamreza Irajian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Varastegan Institute for Medical Sciences 2015-10-01
Series:Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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Online Access:http://rbmb.net/article-1-71-en.pdf
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Summary:Background: Neisseria meningitidis, a life-threatening human pathogen with the potential to cause large epidemics, can be isolated from the nasopharynx of 5–15% of adults. The aim of the current study was to evaluate biophysical and biochemical properties and immunological aspects of chimeric acyl-carrier protein-macrophage infectivity potentiator protein-type IV pilus biogenesis protein antigen (ACP-MIP-PilQ) from N. meningitidis serogroup B strain. Methods: Biochemical properties and multiple alignments were predicted by appropriate web servers. Secondary molecular structures were predicted based on Chou and Fasman, Garnier-Osguthorpe-Robson, and Neural Network methods. Tertiary modeling elucidated conformational properties of the chimeric protein. Proteasome cleavage and transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) binding sites, and T- and B-cell antigenic epitopes, were predicted using bioinformatic web servers. Results: Based on our in silico and immunoinformatics analyses, the ACP-MIP-PilQ protein (AMP) can induce high-level cross-strain bactericidal activity. In addition, several immune proteasomal cleavage sites were detected. The 22 epitopes associated with MHC class I and class II (DR) alleles were confirmed in the AMP. Thirty linear B-cell epitopes as antigenic regions were predicted from the full-length protein. Conclusion: All predicted properties of the AMP indicate it could be a good candidate for further immunological in vitro and in vivo studies.
ISSN:2322-3480
2322-3480