Considerations on Structural Vaccinology and Epitope Screening of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases 8 as a Potential Vaccine Target Against Toxoplasma gondii.

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a widely prevalent parasite from the phylum apicomplexan and is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, which affects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Presently, conventional treatments for toxoplasmosis have limited effectiveness against the cystic forms of the parasite. Thus, developing an efficient and safe vaccine for control and prevention of toxoplasmosis is crucial. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are essential in governing crucial biological processes like anchoring to host cell, cellular infiltration, dynamic locomotion, and escape mechanisms. Because there are no reports on immunization with CDPK8 to date, this study evaluated the fundamental biochemical traits and immunogenic epitopes of the CDPK8 protein through diverse bioinformatics tools. Materials and Methods: We examined the physicochemical attributes, antigenicity, potential B- and T-cell epitopes, tertiary and secondary structures, transmembrane domains, subcellular localization, allergenicity, and other characteristics of the CDPK8 protein. Results: CDPK8 exhibited notable surface accessibility, flexibility, antigenicity, and hydrophilicity indices. Epitope prediction results from diverse bioinformatics databases revealed multiple premiums T-cell and B-cell within the CDPK8 protein shows its viability as an essential component in a T. gondii vaccine formulation. Our findings suggest that to minimize the risk of errors and failures in the laboratory, utilizing in silico software for predicting the functional and structural properties of the CDPK8 protein could be a crucial and essential step in preventing cost wastage. Conclusion: To confirm the immunogenicity of the anticipated sequences, validation in an appropriate mouse model using various bioinformatics tools is recommended. Therefore, it is highly recommended that this protein be evaluated in silico and biological platforms settings to characterize its structural and immunological roles for potential prophylactic agent.