Secreted Aspartyl Proteinases Targeted Multi-Epitope Vaccine Design for Candida dubliniensis Using Immunoinformatics.

by Nahid Akhtar, Jorge Samuel Leon Magdaleno, Suryakant Ranjan, Atif Khurshid Wani, Romina Oliva, Abdul Rajjak Shaikh, Luigi Cavallo, et.al.
Year: 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11020364

Extra Information

Vaccines.

Abstract

Candida dubliniensis is an opportunistic pathogen associated with oral and invasive fungal infections in immune-compromised individuals. Furthermore, the emergence of C. dubliniensis antifungal drug resistance could exacerbate its treatment. Hence, in this study a multi-epitope vaccine candidate has been designed using an immunoinformatics approach by targeting C. dubliniensis secreted aspartyl proteinases (SAP) proteins. In silico tools have been utilized to predict epitopes and determine their allergic potential, antigenic potential, toxicity, and potential to elicit interleukin-2 (IL2), interleukin-4 (IL4), and IFN-γ. Using the computational tools, eight epitopes have been predicted that were then linked with adjuvants for final vaccine candidate development. Computational immune simulation has depicted that the immunogen designed emerges as a strong immunogenic candidate for a vaccine. Further, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analyses revealed stable interactions between the vaccine candidate and the human toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). Finally, immune simulations corroborated the promising candidature of the designed vaccine, thus calling for further in vivo investigation.

 

Keywords

Candida dubliniensis; candidiasis Immunoinformatics molecular docking molecular dynamic simulations multi-epitope vaccine