In silico study to design a multi-epitope vaccine against tochallenges caused by Listeria monocytogenes

Background and Aim : The Gram-positive bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (L.monocytogenes), causing listeriosis, is a food-born infection. Although this bacterium influenceson pregnant women, fetal, elderly and immunosuppressed patients, it also affects normal people.L. monocytogenes is resistant to extreme conditions such as low temperature or high salt and thisrepresents that this species has high adaptability to their environment. L. monocytogenes hassevere clinical manifestations such as abortion, meningoencephalitis, sepsis, myocarditis,hepatitis, cellulitis and etc. Despite these fatal effects, there hasn't been suitable antibiotic againstthis bacterium so far. One of the most promising ways against this challenge is vaccination. Insilico analysis of protein shows that various structural features allow surface proteins to interactwith different components of bacteria or host. This variety provides new clues about molecularbasis of L. monocytogenes. Some bacterial structural and non-structural proteins include InlA,Hly, ActA, PrfA, OrfX, PlcA and InlB. This study aimed at prediction of T cells and B cellsepitopes for subunit vaccine design against L. monocytogenes.Methods : In this study, after selection of protein sequences from the NCBI and suitable epitopesdetection, the antigenicity, allergenicity and toxicity of epitopes were predicted for designing anappropriate multi-epitope construct using suitable linkers. Thereafter, a suitable adjuvant (toll-likereceptor ۴ agonist) was added for increasing the immunogenicity, designing molecular modelingof ۳D structure.Results : This multi-epitope vaccine was shown to induce T cells and B cells responses.Conclusion : Therefore, this vaccine candidate was effective and safe against listeriosis thoughfuture studies can validate the results.

کلیدواژه ها:

Listeria monocytogenes ، structural proteins ، in silico ، multi-epitope vaccine