Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18
Rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18) is a key virulence factor secreted into host cells during the invasion of Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infection. Due to its potential as a vaccine candidate, this study aimed to characterize several properties of the T...
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| Format: | Article |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Bioinformatics and Biology Insights |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/11779322251315924 |
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| author | Masoud Foroutan Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi Ali Dalir Ghaffari Hamidreza Majidiani Arezo Arzani Birgani Elaheh Karimzadeh-Soureshjani Shahrzad Soltani Hany M Elsheikha |
| author_facet | Masoud Foroutan Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi Ali Dalir Ghaffari Hamidreza Majidiani Arezo Arzani Birgani Elaheh Karimzadeh-Soureshjani Shahrzad Soltani Hany M Elsheikha |
| author_sort | Masoud Foroutan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18) is a key virulence factor secreted into host cells during the invasion of Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infection. Due to its potential as a vaccine candidate, this study aimed to characterize several properties of the T. gondii ROP18 (TgROP18) protein to support its inclusion in vaccine formulations. Using a range of bioinformatics tools, we investigated its T-cell and B-cell epitopes, physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, transmembrane domains, and tertiary and secondary structures. Our analysis revealed 48 post-translational modification sites in TgROP18. The secondary structure was composed of 4.87% beta-turns, 38.45% random coils, 42.42% alpha helices, and 14.26% extended strands. Several potential T- and B-cell epitopes were identified on ROP18. The Ramachandran plot of both crude and refined models showed that 85.8% and 95.3% of the amino acid residues, respectively, fell within favored regions, indicating energetically stable conformations. Allergenicity and antigenicity assessments indicated that TgROP18 is a nonallergenic, immunogenic protein. Predictions using the C-ImmSim server suggest that TgROP18 can stimulate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, based on antibody titers and cytokine profiles following antigen administration. These findings provide baseline data for future investigations focused on the potential of TgROP18 in developing therapeutic strategies against toxoplasmosis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9471f573d36040fc99a74dbe68610c32 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1177-9322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bioinformatics and Biology Insights |
| spelling | doaj-art-9471f573d36040fc99a74dbe68610c322025-02-08T07:03:26ZengSAGE PublishingBioinformatics and Biology Insights1177-93222025-02-011910.1177/11779322251315924 Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18Masoud Foroutan0Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi1Ali Dalir Ghaffari2Hamidreza Majidiani3Arezo Arzani Birgani4Elaheh Karimzadeh-Soureshjani5Shahrzad Soltani6Hany M Elsheikha7Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, IranDepartment of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IranDepartment of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, IranDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, IranDepartment of Health Information Technology, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, IranStudent Research Committee, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, IranDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, IranSchool of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, UKRhoptry protein 18 (ROP18) is a key virulence factor secreted into host cells during the invasion of Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of infection. Due to its potential as a vaccine candidate, this study aimed to characterize several properties of the T. gondii ROP18 (TgROP18) protein to support its inclusion in vaccine formulations. Using a range of bioinformatics tools, we investigated its T-cell and B-cell epitopes, physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, transmembrane domains, and tertiary and secondary structures. Our analysis revealed 48 post-translational modification sites in TgROP18. The secondary structure was composed of 4.87% beta-turns, 38.45% random coils, 42.42% alpha helices, and 14.26% extended strands. Several potential T- and B-cell epitopes were identified on ROP18. The Ramachandran plot of both crude and refined models showed that 85.8% and 95.3% of the amino acid residues, respectively, fell within favored regions, indicating energetically stable conformations. Allergenicity and antigenicity assessments indicated that TgROP18 is a nonallergenic, immunogenic protein. Predictions using the C-ImmSim server suggest that TgROP18 can stimulate humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, based on antibody titers and cytokine profiles following antigen administration. These findings provide baseline data for future investigations focused on the potential of TgROP18 in developing therapeutic strategies against toxoplasmosis.https://doi.org/10.1177/11779322251315924 |
| spellingShingle | Masoud Foroutan Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi Ali Dalir Ghaffari Hamidreza Majidiani Arezo Arzani Birgani Elaheh Karimzadeh-Soureshjani Shahrzad Soltani Hany M Elsheikha Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 Bioinformatics and Biology Insights |
| title | Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 |
| title_full | Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 |
| title_fullStr | Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 |
| title_short | Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18 |
| title_sort | analysis and characterization of the immunogenicity of rhoptry protein 18 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/11779322251315924 |
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