Plasmodium knowlesi circumsporozoite protein: genetic characterisation and predicted antigenicity of the central repeat region
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2023
Abstract
Circumsporozoite protein (CSP) central repeat region is one of the main target regions of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine for falciparum infection as it consists of immunodominant B cell epitopes. However, there is a lack of study for P. knowlesi CSP central repeat region. This study aims to characterise the CSP repeat motifs of P. knowlesi isolates in Peninsular Malaysia. CSP repeat motifs of 64 P. knowlesi isolates were identified using Rapid Automatic Detection and Alignment of Repeats (RADAR). Antigenicity of the repeat motifs and linear B cell epitopes were predicted using VaxiJen 2.0, BepiPred-2.0 and BCPred, respectively. A total of 35 dominant repeat motifs were identified. The repeat motif ``AGQPQAQGDGANAGQPQAQGDGAN'' has the highest repeat frequency (n=15) and antigenicity index of 1.7986. All the repeat regions were predicted as B cell epitopes. In silico approaches revealed that all repeat motifs were antigenic and consisted of B cell epitopes which could be designed as knowlesi malaria vaccine.
Keywords
Circumsporozoite protein, central repeat, P, knowlesi, genetic characterisation, B-cell epitopes
Divisions
Parasit
Funders
Long Term Research Grant Scheme from the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia (LRGS/1/2018/UM/01/1/1)
Publication Title
Tropical Biomedicine
Volume
40
Issue
1
Publisher
Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine
Publisher Location
21-5-2, BLOCK, E, DIAMOND SQUARE, JALAN 3-50, OFF JALAN GOMBAK, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA