A New Immunogenic Structure of Polyepitopic Fusion against Leishmania major: In Silico Study

Saeed  Pirmoradi; Mohammad Darvish  Khadem; Zohre  Monjezi; Somayeh  Bahrami; Chukwunonso O.  Nzelu

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16387

Saeed Pirmoradi Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran Univer-sity of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Mohammad Darvish Khadem Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran Univer-sity of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Zohre Monjezi Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Technology, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran
Somayeh Bahrami Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Chukwunonso O. Nzelu Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i3.16387

Keywords: Leishmania; Chimeric vaccine; Bioinformatics; Immunogenicity

Abstract

Background: The lack of complete protection against leishmaniasis and the challenges of anti-leishmaniasis drug treatment have made the treatment process more difficult. This study aimed to develop a new strategy for preparing a vaccine against cutaneous leishmaniasis using some of the antigenic proteins of the Leishmania parasite.

Methods: This study was carried out in 2022 at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. After preparing suitable epitopes of the Leishmania parasite and examining their antiparasitic properties, the process of making a fusion vaccine was performed and with the help of various bioinformatics tools, physicochemical and structural properties as well as immunological and simulation properties were studied and finally optimized. Construction and cloning were performed in the E.coli K12 system and finally, the docking process was performed with Toll-like receptors (TLRs), major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I), and MHC-II receptors. With the help of selected epitopes of the Leishmania parasite, which had a high percentage of population coverage, a stable, antigenic, and non-allergenic chimeric vaccine was predicted.

Results: The results of the structural analysis of the TLR5\vaccine complex and simulation of its molecular dynamics showed a sufficiently stable binding. It also showed good potential for stimulation and production of active B cells and memory, as well as the potential for CD8+ T, CD4+ T cell production and development of Th2 and Th1-induced immune responses.

Conclusion: Computational results showed that the designed immunogenic structure has the potential to adequately stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses against Leishmania parasitic disease. As a result of evaluating the effectiveness of the candidate vaccine through in vivo and in vitro immunological tests, it can be suggested as a vaccine against Leishmania major.