Identification of B cell epitope from the Intrinsically disordered region of Epstein Barr virus Nuclear antigen

Authors

  • S.Jeswin Immanuel
  • Sathish Sankar

Keywords:

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 3 (EBNA3), B-cell epitope, Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), PONDR, Immunoinformatics, Antigenicity, Vaccine candidate, Viral proteins, Epitope prediction

Abstract

Background: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus associated with infectious mononucleosis and several malignancies, including Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric cancer. Epstein–Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 3 (EBNA3) plays a crucial role in viral persistence and host-cell interactions. Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of viral proteins are often enriched in antigenic determinants and may serve as promising targets for immunological studies. Aim: The present study aimed to identify potential linear B-cell epitopes within the intrinsically disordered regions of EBNA3 using computational immunoinformatics approaches.

Materials and Methods: The amino acid sequence of EBNA3 was retrieved from a public protein database. Intrinsically disordered regions were predicted using the Predictor of Natural Disordered Regions (PONDR) server, and regions with disorder scores greater than 0.5 were selected for analysis. The identified disordered segments were further screened for linear B-cell epitopes using epitope prediction tools. Predicted epitopes were evaluated based on sequence characteristics, residue positions, and peptide length. The distribution of epitopes within disordered regions was analyzed to assess their potential immunogenicity. Results: Multiple intrinsically disordered regions were identified within the EBNA3 protein sequence. Several linear B-cell epitopes were predicted to be localized within these disordered segments, suggesting a strong association between intrinsic disorder and antigenic potential. The identified epitopes demonstrated favorable characteristics for immune recognition and may represent potential targets for vaccine development and diagnostic applications. Conclusion: This study highlights the significance of intrinsically disordered regions in EBNA3 as reservoirs of potential B-cell epitopes. The predicted epitopes provide a foundation for further experimental validation and may contribute to the development of EBV-specific immunotherapeutic and diagnostic strategies

 

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Published

2023-12-20

How to Cite

1.
Immanuel S, Sankar S. Identification of B cell epitope from the Intrinsically disordered region of Epstein Barr virus Nuclear antigen. J Neonatal Surg [Internet]. 2023 Dec. 20 [cited 2026 Jun. 30];12(1):103-7. Available from: https://jneonatalsurg.com/index.php/jns/article/view/10382

Issue

Vol. 12 (2023): Journal of Neonatal Surgery

Section

Original Article

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