title: B-cell epitopes of antigenic proteins in Leishmania infantum: an in silico analysis.
abstract: Serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis is often hindered by cross-reactions to other parasitic diseases. Identifying specific B-cell epitopes in proteins is therefore important for immunodiagnostics, as well as for disease control by vaccines. This study aimed to identify linear and conformational B-cell epitopes and to evaluate the secondary structure of antigen proteins in Leishmania infantum using in silico analysis. Linear epitopes were predicted using the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB), BepiPred and BcePred programs. The conformational B-cell epitopes were identified using the CBTOPE server. The combination of the predictions using IEDB, BepiPred and BcePred generated 148 linear epitopes from the calpain-like cysteine peptidase (CP), thiol-dependent reductase 1 (TDR1) and HSP70 proteins. In total, 164 conformational epitopes were predicted, mostly located in the linear epitope region. The predicted epitopes are located in α helix and random coil regions in the thiol-dependent reductase 1 and HSP70 proteins. New linear and conformational B-cell epitopes of L. infantum proteins were identified in silico, and the prediction using various programs ensures greater accuracy of the results, as suggested by confirmation of previously identified HSP70 epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Medicine and Health, Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital Complex, Federal University of Bahia (Universidade Federal da Bahia-UFBA), Salvador, Brazil; Academic Nursing Unit, Federal University of Campina Grande (Universidade Federal de Campina Grande)-UFCG, Cajazeiras, Brazil.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: N F S
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A F M
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De Melo
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C494061:TDR1 protein, Leishmania major; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases
keywords: bioinformatics; diagnosis; kala-azar; synthetic biology; vaccine