RESUMO

Human schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of great importance in public health. A large number of people are infected with schistosomiasis, making vaccine development and effective diagnosis important control strategies. A rational epitope prediction workflow using Schistosoma mansoni hypothetical proteins was previously presented by our group, and an improvement to that approach is presented here. Briefly, immunodominant epitopes from parasite membrane proteins were predicted by reverse vaccinology strategy with additional in silico analysis. Furthermore, epitope recognition was evaluated using sera of individuals infected with S. mansoni. The epitope that stood out in both in silico and in vitro assays was used to compose a rational chimeric molecule to improve immune response activation. Out of 2185 transmembrane proteins, four epitopes with high binding affinities for human and mouse MHCII molecules were selected through computational screening. These epitopes were synthesized to evaluate their ability to induce TCD4+ lymphocyte proliferation in mice. Sm204830e and Sm043300e induced significant TCD4+ proliferation. Both epitopes were submitted to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to evaluate their recognition by IgG antibodies from the sera of infected individuals, and epitope Sm043300 was significantly recognized in most sera samples. Epitope Sm043300 also showed good affinity for human MHCII molecules in molecular docking, and its sequence is curiously highly conserved in four S. mansoni proteins, all of which are described as G-protein-coupled receptors. In addition, we have demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating this epitope, which showed low similarity to human sequences, into a chimeric molecule. The stability of the molecule was evaluated by molecular modeling aimed at future molecule production for use in diagnosis and vaccination trials.

Assuntos

Antígenos de Helmintos/imunologia , Epitopos Imunodominantes/imunologia , Schistosoma mansoni/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Anticorpos Anti-Helmínticos/sangue , Anticorpos Anti-Helmínticos/imunologia , Antígenos de Helmintos/genética , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/imunologia , Técnicas de Química Combinatória , Desenho de Fármacos , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos , Feminino , Cadeias HLA-DRB1/imunologia , Proteínas de Helminto/química , Proteínas de Helminto/imunologia , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/imunologia , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/metabolismo , Humanos , Epitopos Imunodominantes/genética , Epitopos Imunodominantes/metabolismo , Ativação Linfocitária , Proteínas de Membrana/química , Proteínas de Membrana/imunologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Modelos Moleculares , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Conformação Proteica , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/química , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/imunologia , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/imunologia , Schistosoma haematobium/imunologia , Schistosoma mansoni/genética , Esquistossomose mansoni/sangue , Esquistossomose mansoni/imunologia , Alinhamento de Sequência , Vacinas de Subunidades Antigênicas/imunologia , Vacinas Sintéticas/imunologia

RESUMO

Abstract The barley HvAACT1 gene codes for a citrate transporter associated with tolerance to acidic soil. In this report, we describe a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the HvAACT1 coding region that was detected as T-1,198 (in genotypes with lower root growth on acidic soil) or G-1,198 (greater root growth) and resulted in a single amino acid change (L/V-172). Molecular dynamic analysis predicted that HvAACT1 proteins with L or V-172 were stable, although the substitution led to structural changes within the protein. To evaluate the effect of the SNP on tolerance to acidic soil, barley accessions were separated into haplotypes based on the presence of a 1 kb insertion in the HvAACT1 promoter and a 21 bp insertion/deletion. These markers and the SNP-1,198 allowed the identification of five haplotypes. Short-term soil experiments showed no difference in root growth for most of the accessions containing the 21 bp insertion and T or G-1,198. In contrast, genotypes showing both the 21 bp deletion and G-1,198, with one of them having the 1 kb insertion, showed greater root growth. These results indicate that the SNP was not advantageous or deleterious when genotypes from the same haplotype were compared. The occurrence of the SNP was highly correlated with the 21 bp insertion/deletion that, together with the 1 kb insertion, explained most of the barley tolerance to acidic soil.

RESUMO

The barley HvAACT1 gene codes for a citrate transporter associated with tolerance to acidic soil. In this report, we describe a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the HvAACT1 coding region that was detected as T-1,198 (in genotypes with lower root growth on acidic soil) or G-1,198 (greater root growth) and resulted in a single amino acid change (L/V-172). Molecular dynamic analysis predicted that HvAACT1 proteins with L or V-172 were stable, although the substitution led to structural changes within the protein. To evaluate the effect of the SNP on tolerance to acidic soil, barley accessions were separated into haplotypes based on the presence of a 1 kb insertion in the HvAACT1 promoter and a 21 bp insertion/deletion. These markers and the SNP-1,198 allowed the identification of five haplotypes. Short-term soil experiments showed no difference in root growth for most of the accessions containing the 21 bp insertion and T or G-1,198. In contrast, genotypes showing both the 21 bp deletion and G-1,198, with one of them having the 1 kb insertion, showed greater root growth. These results indicate that the SNP was not advantageous or deleterious when genotypes from the same haplotype were compared. The occurrence of the SNP was highly correlated with the 21 bp insertion/deletion that, together with the 1 kb insertion, explained most of the barley tolerance to acidic soil.