Immunoinformatics strategy for designing a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine to combat Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Introduction

The increasing prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become a significant global concern. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to explore prophylactic approaches to combat the anti-microbial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.

Objective

The present study aims to design a multi-epitopic vaccine construct using immunoinformatics and pan-genomic methodology.

Methods

The initial phase involves retrieving and re-annotating the 133 complete genome sets of N. gonorrhoeae. Subsequently, a pan-genome analysis was conducted to identify the core genes, followed by gene mapping. Non-homologous outer-membrane proteins were filtered out and analyzed using various epitope prediction algorithms targeting major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I, MHC-II), and B cells. The optimal epitopes were selected based on immunogenicity, antigenicity, toxicity, and solubility. Then, the vaccine constructs were designed using different combinations of linkers, Histidine (His) tags, adjuvants, and the finalized epitopes.

Results

The vaccine construct, V13 was screened as the most suitable candidate based on its physiochemical and antigenicity properties. Computational techniques assessed the efficacy of V13 against different immune receptors supported by immune simulation, indicating its safety for inducing immune responses against N. gonorrhoeae.

Conclusion

The chimeric multi-epitopic vaccine V13 construct can potentially trigger a diverse array of protective immune responses and serve as a promising starting point for future experimental investigations.