Article Abstract

Volume 35, No. (4), 2025 (August)
IMMUNOINFORMATICS-DRIVEN MULTI-EPITOPE VACCINE DESIGN FOR FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE VIRUS
Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud, Sonia Imran, Abdulaziz Alamri, Saeedah Almutairi, Hossam Ebaid, Bushra Hafeez Kiani, Qaiser Akram, Tanveer Hussain, Muhammad Ahsan Naeem

M. A. Abdel-Maksoud¹, S. Imran², A. Alamri³, S. Almutairi⁴, H. Ebaid⁵, B. H. Kiani⁶, Q. Akram⁷, T. Hussain⁸, M. A. Naeem⁹*

¹ Botany and Microbiology department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia,
² Department of Biotechnology, Virtual University, Islamabad, Pakistan,
³ Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia,
⁴ Botany and Microbiology department, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia,
⁵ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.,
⁶ Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachuesetts, 01609, USA,
⁷ Department of Pathobiology (Microbiology), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore (Narowal Campus) Narowal 51600, Pakistan,
⁸ Department of Biotechnology, Virtual University, Islamabad, Pakistan,
⁹ Department of Basic Sciences (Pharmacology), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore (Narowal Campus) Narowal 51600, Pakistan,

Corresponding Author: muhammadahsannaeem@ymail.com
Page Number(s): 1020-1036
Published Online First: June 10, 2025
Publication Date: July 29, 2025
ABSTRACT

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is the most destructive for livestock with reservoirs in cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and pigs and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) with seven serotypes. Current vaccination strategies suffer from difficulties with antigenic variability coupled with high costs. This paper aims to design a multi-epitope subunit vaccine against FMDV by the use of immunoinformatics approach in order to improve effectiveness. We used immunoinformatics to design a subunit vaccine that included two T-cell epitopes linked with AAV and three B-cell epitopes linked with KK. T- and B-cell epitopes were joined by a GPSL linker. A Pan HLA-DR binding epitope, PADRE, was attached at both ends using EAAAK linkers. Physicochemical properties, allergenicity, and antigenicity of the vaccine were evaluated, along with secondary and tertiary structure predictions and molecular docking studies with the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9). The vaccine had a predicted to be non-allergic and with high antigenic property (0.73). Physicochemical analysis showed to be 135 amino acids, stable (21.29 stability index), and basic (pI of 10.51). The overall 3D structure showed robust binding affinity against the cattle TLR-9 receptor. It was confirmed, in silico cloning, effective transformation into prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a (+). The subunit vaccine developed based on immunoinformatics has great promise in the form of a high antigenicity level, stabilized physicochemical properties, and interactions well-favored with TLR-9. This indicates potential further experimental validation of effectiveness as a candidate vaccine against FMD.

Keywords: FMDV, subunit vaccine, immunoinformatics, non-structural protein

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Journal Impact Factor: 0.5 | (JCR Year: 2025) | Cite Score: 1.3

HEC Category: W

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Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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