Mycoplasma
gallisepticum causes
chronic respiratory disease in chickens leading to large economic
losses in the poultry industry, and the impacts remain to be a great
challenge for a longer period. Among the other approaches, a vaccine
targeting the adhesion proteins of M. gallisepticum would be a promising candidate in controlling the infection. Thus,
the present study is aimed to design a multi-epitope vaccine candidate
using cytoadhesion proteins of M. gallisepticum through an advanced immunoinformatics approach. As a result, the
multi-epitope vaccine was constructed, which comprised potential T-cell
and B-cell binding epitopes with appropriate adjuvants. The designed
multi-epitope vaccine represented high antigenicity with viable physiochemical
properties. The prospective three-dimensional structure of the epitope
was predicted, refined, and validated. The molecular docking analysis
of multi-epitope vaccine candidates with the chicken Toll-like receptor-5
predicted effective binding. Furthermore, codon optimization and in
silico cloning ensured high expression. Thus, the present finding
indicates that the engineered multi-epitope vaccine is structurally
stable and can induce a strong immune response. Furthermore, the multi-epitope
vaccine is suggested to be a suitable vaccine candidate for the M. gallisepticum infection due to its effective binding
capacity and precise specificity.
Photosynthetic organisms synthesize the amphipathic antioxidants called tocopherols which are essential components of the human diet. To increase the α-tocopherol (vitamin E) content, Arabidopsis genes encoding homogentisate phytyltransferase (HPT) and tocopherol cyclase (TC) were constitutively expressed individually and in combination (HPT:TC) in tobacco plant by Agrobacterium mediated transformation. The transgene was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), transgene expression was studied by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, integration of the transgene in the plant genome was confirmed by Southern blot, and α-tocopherol content was quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The α-tocopherol content in transgenic tobacco plants expressing HPT, TC, and HPT:TC was increased by 5.4-, 4.0-, and 7.1-fold, respectively, when compared to the wild type (WT). These results indicate that, the HPT and TC activities are critical for enhancing the vitamin E content in tobacco plants.
Mycoplasma sp. comprises cell wall-less bacteria with reduced genome size and can infect mammals, reptiles, birds, and plants. Avian mycoplasmosis, particularly in chickens, is primarily caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae. It causes infection and pathology mainly in the respiratory, reproductive, and musculoskeletal systems. MG is the most widely distributed pathogenic avian mycoplasma with a wide range of host susceptibility and virulence. MG is transmitted both by horizontal and vertical routes. MG infection induces innate, cellular, mucosal, and adaptive immune responses in the host. Macrophages aid in phagocytosis and clearance, and B and T cells play critical roles in the clearance and prevention of MG. The virulent factors of MG are adhesion proteins, lipoproteins, heat shock proteins, and antigenic variation proteins, all of which play pivotal roles in host cell entry and pathogenesis. Prevention of MG relies on farm and flock biosecurity, management strategies, early diagnosis, use of antimicrobials, and vaccination. This review summarizes the vital pathogenic mechanisms underlying MG infection and recapitulates the virulence factors of MG–host cell adhesion, antigenic variation, nutrient transport, and immune evasion. The review also highlights the limitations of current vaccines and the development of innovative future vaccines against MG.
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