Towards peptide vaccines against Zika virus: Immunoinformatics combined with molecular dynamics simulations to predict antigenic epitopes of Zika viral proteins.

ABSTRACT: The recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in Brazil has developed to a global health concern due to its likely association with birth defects (primary microcephaly) and neurological complications. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop a vaccine to prevent or a medicine to treat the infection. In this study, immunoinformatics approach was employed to predict antigenic epitopes of Zika viral proteins to aid in development of a peptide vaccine against ZIKV. Both linear and conformational B-cell epitopes as well as cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were predicted for ZIKV Envelope (E), NS3 and NS5 proteins. We further investigated the binding interactions of altogether 15 antigenic CTL epitopes with three class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC I) proteins after d

SUBMITTER: Mirza MU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5146661 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature