title: In Silico Analysis of HA2/Mx Chimera Peptide for Developing an Adjuvanted Vaccine to Induce Immune Responses Against Influenza Viruses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The direct transmission of avian influenza viruses to human and increasing drug resisted strains posing new threats for public health. Therefore, development of efficient vaccines is needed to generate protective and persistent immunity to the viruses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three motifs of Mx protein sequence in human, mouse and poultry located in interferon induced (GTP ase) domain were candidate as biologic adjuvant for enhancing the immune responses against influenza virus. Chimera proteins composed with the conserved HA2 subunit of influenza virus and the Mx motifs named HA2/Mx were modeled and evaluated by in silico analysis includes bioinformatics algorithms in order to explore biological characteristics of these peptides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amongst the predicted models, HA2/Mx1 peptide showed the better results following protein structures prediction, antigenic epitopes determination and model quality evaluation. Comparative homology modeling was performed with Swiss Model and the model was validated using ProSA. Epitope predictions revealed the construct could induce both B and T cell epitopes that expect a high immune response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, these data indicate that the HA2/Mx1 chimera peptide can be potentiated for developing an adjuvant-fused influenza vaccine capable of stimulating effective immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. ; Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Madadgar
authors.affiliation: Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahsavandi
authors.affiliation: Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Homayoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahravani
authors.affiliation: Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lotfi
keywords: HA2 subunit; Influenza virus; Mx; Peptid vaccine