Taiwo O. Ojo

Conference 2022 Live Talk

Talk title

Design of multi-epitope peptide for diagnosis of Loa loa infection using a bioinformatics approach

Authors and Affiliations

Taiwo Ooreoluwa Ojo1,2, Paulina Omodamola Akinro1,3, Seun Elijah Olufemi1,2, Oluwaseun Samuel Hezekiah1,4, Adenike Titilayo Olayinka1,5, Daniel Adewole Adediran1,2, Felix Akindele Idowu1,2, Usman Abiodun Idowu1,3, Mary Omotoyinbo Ikuomola1,4, Grace Asegunloluwa Abiala1,4, Elizabeth Oluwatoyin Folakanmi1,3, James Akinwumi Ogunniran1,5, Odunola Abimbola Olubodun1,4, Foluso Daniel Odunlami1,4, Samuel Adebowale Akintibubo1,3, Hadijat Motunrayo Adegoke1, Olawumi Elizabeth Akindiya1,6, Gideon Mayowa Akanbi1,3, Favour Oluwadara Bamigboye1, Rasidat Oyindamola Aremu1, Hezekiah Oluwajoba Awobiyi1, Kehinde Temitope Kolapo1, Jerry Ayobami Oluwasegun1,4, Boluwatife Ayobami Irewolede1, Esther Moradeyo Jimah1,7, Elijah Kolawole Oladipo1,8

1. Genomics Unit, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
2. Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
3. Department of Pure and Applied Biology, (Microbiology Unit), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
4. Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
5. Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
6. Department of Biological Science (Microbiology Programme), Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Nigeria
7. Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
8. Department of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics and Immunology, Adeleke University, Ede, Nigeria

Abstract

Background

Loiasis is caused by Loa loa which is a vector-borne filarial parasitic worm endemic to Central and West Africa. It is a major public health issue due to its geographic overlap with Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis. It has been reported that improper diagnosis of Loiasis can complicate the treatment of Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis, causing severe neurological reactions. Due to this, there is need for a more sensitive method to detect Loa loa in humans. Hence, the study aimed at the prediction and design of a novel, synthetic multi-epitope protein for the diagnosis of Loiasis from retrieved Loa loa genes.

Methods

Forty-four (44) genes were retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Antigenic genes from the forty-four genes namely LOAG_01648, LOAG_01884, LOAG_05512, LOAG_05504, LOAG_05610, and LOAG_05586 were further analyzed for their transmembrane configurations and signal peptide properties. Then, the B-cell construct was designed using bioinformatics tools. The most antigenic epitopes were linked using a flexible linker sequence to generate a new sequence. The new sequence, having 386 amino acids residues, was then submitted to ExPASy ProtParam, SOPMA, and I-TASSER servers to predict the primary, secondary, and tertiary structure of the protein respectively. The generated tertiary structure was then evaluated to engender a Ramachandran plot and a z-score to test the reliability of the predicted structure.

Results

Of the forty four (44) genes retrieved from NCBI, six (6) were predicted to be antigenic. The physiochemical properties of the protein predicted by the server showed that its theoretical PI, aliphatic index, and GRAVY values were 8.14, 62.88, and -0.176 respectively. The Ramachandran’s plot showed that 75% of the residue is in highly preferred regions while the tertiary structure model’s C-score values are -1.65, -2.35, -1.65, -3.87, -3.80 respectively.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study indicated that the designed construct could detect Loa loa infection with high sensitivity and specificity and the construct can withstand a wide range of temperature suitable for tropical regions.