In silico comparative study of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and antigenic proteins in BCG, OPV, MMR and other vaccines: evidence of a possible putative protective effect

Sondes Haddad-Boubaker; Houcemeddine Othman; Rabeb Touati; Kaouther Ayouni; Marwa Lakhal; Imen Ben Mustapha; Kais Ghedira; Maher Kharrat; Henda Triki

doi:10.1186/s12859-021-04045-3

BMC Bioinformatics (Mar 2021)

In silico comparative study of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and antigenic proteins in BCG, OPV, MMR and other vaccines: evidence of a possible putative protective effect

Sondes Haddad-Boubaker,
Houcemeddine Othman,
Rabeb Touati,
Kaouther Ayouni,
Marwa Lakhal,
Imen Ben Mustapha,
Kais Ghedira,
Maher Kharrat,
Henda Triki

Affiliations

Sondes Haddad-Boubaker: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar
Houcemeddine Othman: Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand
Rabeb Touati: LR99ES10 Human Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis (FMT), University of Tunis El Manar
Kaouther Ayouni: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar
Marwa Lakhal: LR99ES10 Human Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis (FMT), University of Tunis El Manar
Imen Ben Mustapha: LR11-IPT02 Laboratory of Transmission, Control and Immunobiology of Infections, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar
Kais Ghedira: LR16IPT09 Laboratory of Biomathematics, Biomathematics and Biostatistics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar
Maher Kharrat: LR99ES10 Human Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis (FMT), University of Tunis El Manar
Henda Triki: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis and Measles for the EMR, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-021-04045-3
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 22, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pandemic disease that may induce severe pneumonia in humans. In this paper, we investigated the putative implication of 12 vaccines, including BCG, OPV and MMR in the protection against COVID-19. Sequences of the main antigenic proteins in the investigated vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 proteins were compared to identify similar patterns. The immunogenic effect of identified segments was, then, assessed using a combination of structural and antigenicity prediction tools. Results A total of 14 highly similar segments were identified in the investigated vaccines. Structural and antigenicity prediction analysis showed that, among the identified patterns, three segments in Hepatitis B, Tetanus, and Measles proteins presented antigenic properties that can induce putative protective effect against COVID-19. Conclusions Our results suggest a possible protective effect of HBV, Tetanus and Measles vaccines against COVID-19, which may explain the variation of the disease severity among regions.

Published in BMC Bioinformatics

ISSN: 1471-2105 (Online)
Publisher: BMC
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General): Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics; Science: Biology (General)
Website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbioinformatics/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords