Development of an epitope-based vaccine from mycoplasma genitalium adhesion protein: addressing antibiotic resistance through immune-informatics.

Abstract

Mycoplasma genitalium is increasingly recognized for its role in severe health conditions, including sexually transmitted infections, ovarian and prostate cancer. The adhesion protein plays a crucial role in the pathogen's ability to attach to and invade host cells, making it a key target for vaccine development. The need to develop a vaccine against M. genitalium stems from its rising antibiotic resistance, limited treatments and effectiveness. This study focuses on the design and computational evaluation of adhesion protein-based epitope vaccine. Through an immunoinformatic approach, multiple novel cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and linear B-cell epitopes were identified from the adhesion protein, demonstrating strong antigenic, non-allergenic, and immunogenic properties. The vaccine construct's 3D structure was validated using Ramachandran plot analysis, ProSA, and ERRAT servers, confirming its stability and suitability. Molecular docking studies revealed a high binding affinity of the vaccine with the TLR-2 receptor, further supported by 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that confirmed the structural stability and robust interaction of the vaccine with immune receptors. In silico immune simulations using the C-ImmSim server demonstrated the vaccine's potential to elicit strong humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Codon optimization for expression in E. coli using the pET-29a(+) vector predicted efficient production of the vaccine. The comprehensive computational analysis, underscores the potential of this epitope-based vaccine as a promising candidate against M. genitalium infections. However, the study emphasizes the necessity of in vitro and in vivo experiments to validate the vaccine's efficacy and safety before advancing to clinical trials.