Exploring Adenylate Kinase 8 (ADK8) of Echinococcus granulosus as a Novel Immunogen Against Cystic Echinococcosis: A Computational Perspective
TL;DR
Preliminary computational evidence is provided supporting further investigation of EgADK8 as a potential component of a multiepitope vaccine against CE and experimental validation using the whole protein and/or selected epitopes is required.
Abstract
Background: Vaccination represents a promising strategy for preventing hydatidosis. We aimed to characterize the physicochemical properties of adenylate kinase 8 from Echinococcus granulosus (EgADK8) and identify potential B- and T-cell epitopes as vaccine candidates. Methods: Multiple web-based servers were employed to predict immunogenic epitopes and evaluate the physicochemical, antigenic, structural, and subcellular characteristics of EgADK8. Results: EgADK8 was predicted to be an extracellular protein with a molecular weight of 38.78 kDa. The protein showed no allergenic potential and exhibited high hydrophilicity, predicted thermal stability, and 36 potential post-translational modification sites. The secondary structure was mainly composed of alpha helices and random coils. The highest-quality three-dimensional model generated by the Robetta server achieved a confidence score of 0.79. Three independent prediction servers identified 16 linear and 9 conformational B-cell epitopes. Furthermore, two helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes with predicted IFN-γ-inducing potential were identified after comprehensive screening. Additionally, five immunogenic human cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes with predicted IFN-γ-inducing potential and three murine CTL epitopes were identified. Conclusion: These findings provide preliminary computational evidence supporting further investigation of EgADK8 as a potential component of a multiepitope vaccine against CE. The main limitation of this study was its reliance on computational analyses. Therefore, experimental validation using the whole protein and/or selected epitopes, either individually or in combination with other antigens, is required.