Molecular characterization and T and B cell epitopes prediction of Mycoplasma synoviae 53 strain VlhA hemagglutinin

Ilana Lopes Camargo, Cristina Toscano Fonseca, Santuza Ribeiro Teixeira, Vasco Azevedo, Anderson Myioshi, Sergio Costa Oliveira
2007 Genetics and Molecular Biology  
Mycoplasma sinoviae is a major pathogen of poultry causing synovitis and respiratory infection. M. synoviae hemagglutinin (VlhA) is a lipoprotein encoded by related multigene families that appear to have arisen by horizontal gene transfer. It is an abundant immunodominant surface protein involved in host-parasite interaction mediating binding to host erythrocytes. Herein, we have performed in silico analysis of the vlhA gene product from the Mycoplasma synoviae 53 strain and compared it to the
more » ... lhA protein of M. synoviae WUV1853 strain. The VlhA of the M. synoviae 53 strain possesses 569 amino acids and showed 85% identity with the VlhA protein of the M. synoviae WUV1853 strain. Further, a signal peptide was identified from amino acid M 1 to D 28 and a cleavage site between D 28 and Q 29 , both located in the N-terminal domain of the molecule. Additionally, an insertion of PAPT amino acids was observed between T 30 -P 35 and a deletion of the amino acids GTPGNP within the PRR region of the VlhA from the M. synoviae 53 strain, which may be related to its reduced virulence. Finally, we have identified 17 B cell epitopes and 22 T cells epitopes within the VlhA from the M. synoviae 53 strain. The B cell epitope S 263 -D 277 and the T cell epitopes N 45 -N 54 and G 58 -N 67 showed 100% and 87-100% identity, respectively, with regions of VlhA protein of tested Mycoplasma synoviae and Mycoplasma galisepticum strains. Thus, these peptides represent new candidate molecules for the development of efficient diagnostic assays and new subunit vaccines.
doi:10.1590/s1415-47572007000200013 fatcat:bg7tsupc7ravllek6a4bwbbfea