In silico evaluation of outer membrane protein S2 as a suitable vaccine candidate against Edwardsiella tarda infection of fish

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveEdwardsiella tarda, the agent responsible for edwardsiellosis, is one of the primary emerging pathogens in fish aquaculture. The disease leads to significant economic loss for the farmers. Development of effective vaccines can minimize the disease burden.MethodsThe types of vaccinations that are currently at the center of the most significant research are subunit vaccines. Outer membrane proteins, which are a component of the bacteria, are very well known to be effective at stimulating immune responses in the host. In this study, the gene encoding for outer membrane protein S2 (OmpS2) of E. tarda was identified, cloned, and sequenced, followed by in silico analysis.ResultThe structure and subcellular localization of the protein were first confirmed. Homology modeling of the whole protein was performed, and the protein was checked for its eligibility as a vaccine candidate. This was followed by identifying antigenic sites, B‐cell epitopes, and cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte epitopes on OmpS2. We obtained a few distinct vaccine peptides from OmpS2. The complete genome of E. tarda was subjected to genome analysis to identify potential epitopes that would bind to the fish major histocompatibility complex molecule and elicit both humoral and cell‐mediated immune responses.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights for consideration of OmpS2 as a potential vaccine candidate against E. tarda infection.